


The Bound Youkai Series

by KibaSin



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Mild Language, Minor Violence, Nudity, Romance, Soul Split
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-07 16:53:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 45,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1122242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KibaSin/pseuds/KibaSin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 'chance' meeting between a freezing prince, and a magically bound youkai female.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Bound Youkai

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any material belonging to Takahashi Rumiko-sama.

The midsummer night air began to shift and change for the new day, the smell of heat washing over the land just as the dawning sun began peeking over the eastern horizon. This did not bother the lone, human looking, creature, which seemed to be relaxed underneath a very large, very old tree, one that housed a youkai spirit within. Though this change did not bother this one creature, many others began rising, stretching, and beginning their lives once more on this, what seemed to be, wonderful day. However, all new days hold many dark secrets, which cling to the shadows that the brightly burning sun cannot touch –

\- This, too, did not bother our lone figure that sat beneath this ancient tree, his thoughts turning toward the newest development within his life. They had been small changes at first, simple things, really. His mother, once sweet, kind… and,  _alive_ , had turned into a distant person who barely acknowledged his presence, merely staring out her window toward the east, or into her mirror as she constantly brushed her long, flowing, golden hair. When he found out the reason for this change, he, too, had been shocked to find that his father's heart had been snatch away from his mother's grasp, only to be placed within that of a human hime's. He'd understood his mother's sudden change then, though… that was not when he'd began to drift.

No, his heart began to freeze over when they received word that his father, Touga, was challenged to a death match. His father, at the time, had been away with his new  _love_ , and did not receive word about anything until it was to late. After reading the challenge, though he begged her many times not to go, his mother strapped on her armor, her ancient weapon handed down throughout her family line, and walked out of the castle. He knew she was merely trying to prove her love for his father, but… when she did not return after two weeks…

When she did not return, he finally sent word to his father of his mother's death. Touga had, from what he heard, managed to sneak into the hime's bedding chamber many times over those two weeks, courting her to become his second mate, though the ancient laws of youkai looked down upon the idea. One should be loyal to their  **only**  mate, since inuyoukai, as they were, should only have one mate for their entire lives. No that did not put full meaning into it: inuyoukai should mate with one person, and one person only, for the rest of their long lives, unless their mate happens to die.

His father, Touga, was a lucky bastard, indeed.

True, his father returned, only to go after the male who took the life of his first mate, but when he returned he brought no body, nothing that would seal the memory of her within the House of the Moon. The bastard didn't even bring back her beloved weapon; no, he, Sesshoumaru, rushed to the battleground using his nose to find his mother's dead form, blood covering her from head to toe, her body also covered in another substance, which he could only guess was the monster's—the one that took her life—semen. After washing her of most of the blood using his kimono, Sesshoumaru had been sickened to find, from the look of her, they not only raped, and killed her, but her opponent, or opponents', beat her until her once beautiful face was swollen beyond recognition.

If his father had not already done so, he would have killed the one who'd challenged their family. Surely, he would have, for after washing her the best he could, Sesshoumaru had moved to a small meadow miles away from where the battleground lie, before placing her upon the grass. Using his own claws, which had still not been washed, he'd begun to dig her burial site. After he was done, his claws were mostly broken, some still bleeding from trying to dig with his human looking hands, instead of transforming into his dog-like form.

No, he could not have risked that, not even after putting her to rest within the earth she once loved. Not even after he placed her sword within the ground too not only mark the place, but also to create a barrier. It would protect her body until she turned to nothing but dust, mixing with the soil where she was buried. The sword, however, would find him once that happened, for he held the sheath and the sword would go to where its sheath was located, whether in the hands of good, or evil. He could not risk transformation at all, for he was afraid at that moment, when his first tears melted into the ground where his mother lie that should he transform… he would destroy half the Western Lands -

\- No, he would destroy the blasted castle where that whore of a hime resided. It was her fault that his mother was dead, for if she had not cast her sorcery over his father then his mother would still be alive! If she had not appeared before his father's eyes… his mother would not have gone through such a horrible, un-honorable, fate that she was sealed with. However, in the end, his mind would forever place blame on the princess, for surely she was the one who wished to merely rip his father's heart from his chest before feasting upon it like the beast she was.

So, he did not risk transformation, but he did not return to the House of the Moon, either. His father did not need him, no, for he had not yet battled him for the title of Western Lord. So, Sesshoumaru wandered into the forest, trying to gather his thoughts, control the raging beast within him, before going back to what he thought was no longer his home. No, the House of the Moon could not be his home, and when his father finally sucked in his last breath he, Sesshoumaru, was going to burn it to the ground, before making a palace better than the House of the Moon ever could be. Maybe with the burning, he would wash away his memories of this terrible year.  _Maybe…_

Just  _maybe…_

The sun finally broke through the limbs of the youkai tree against his back, casting a shadow over his face where the leaves lie. However, his eyes barely opened, before he shifted his bangs further down to block the unwanted light. Darkness surrounded him now; he no longer needed the light that wished to brighten the new day. No, Sesshoumaru would rather walk the darkest cavern at this point, rather than ever once stepping out into the light. Perhaps it was because his heart was freezing over, his thoughts turning toward supreme conquest, instead of knowledge as he used to. Now, he merely wished to stalk the night, leaving the day to the creature's that wished to be bathed in its glow.

Growling, Sesshoumaru turned his face to the side, feeling the heat of the sun on his striped cheek, yet wishing that he could merely grab the glowing ball from the sky and throw it to the darkest reaches of the universe. His lip lifted in a snarl until the youkai tree behind him shifted its limbs to block the daylight, obviously thinking he wished to sleep. He needed no sleep; he needed blood running off his claws, he needed to watch as the House of the Moon became nothing but ash, he needed to watch his bastard father's body be sliced open in the cruelest of ways—what he  **needed** , he could not have.

Someone would always be there to stop him, no matter how hard he tried. After all, that was what he'd been taught all his life. However, that could not compare to the loyalty he had to his mother. His vast knowledge could not compare to his loyalty, which demanded that he right the wrong his father had done. It demanded that he kill the hime who'd stolen his father's heart, squeezing it between her mortal fingers; yes, he, too, was mortal, but that bitch was far more mortal than he would ever wish to be.

Tilting his head back, Sesshoumaru allowed his golden eyes to open a crack, watching silently as the world began to move around him. His hand twitched a little, telling him of the death and despair he wished to bring. The destruction he  **could**  bring upon the land. The ultimate sacrifice he was willing to make—to take his life just to kill those who'd hurt his mother to the point where she went up against an opponent she stood no chance against. To the point where his father, once strong and dignified, fell like a rock for a ningen hime who probably wanted the title of Lady of the West and that was it. Someone might try to stop him, but in the end they would have to rebuild nearly everything they cherished.

Sesshoumaru, finally bringing his right knee up to place his hand upon, sniffed the air gently. It was best to be ready than allowing an enemy to come upon you without you ever realizing they were there. Besides, he was youkai; he was not one of those foolish ningen who needed to be protected by weapons such as arrows, or spears. However, his eyes closed once more when he caught scent of the dusking sun, mixed with the slight scent of a thunderstorm, gently bathed in lilacs. The scent was strange, yet refreshing, and he felt his beast rear its head, catching the feminine whiff of female upon the edge. However, the scent seemed old and wise, telling him that there was a youkai female deeper within the forest… yet he felt no aura, except for that of another youkai tree.

Surely a youkai tree would not give off that type of scent. Besides, breathing deeply, he could tell that the scent was that of a beautifully bathed tori, yet he could not place which type of tori the female was. It caught him as odd, and on instinct Sesshoumaru's limbs moved to place him on his feet. His beast controlled the impulse, but he began walking deeper into the forest, quite happy to be getting out of the sun, since the trees crowded around casting mere shadows upon the cool ground.

His long haori sleeves, designed with red hexagons that contained simple red flower designs, flowed back when the trees began to move, their branches moving in the wind. It also picked up his long silver hair, and boa, both of which hung loosely down his back. He'd never been one to tie it back, since he liked to let it flow naturally in the wind, or simply lay against his back. After all, his hair was not thick, it did not create much heat on a hot day, so why should he tie it back like his father always did.

His sharp golden eyes narrowed, his feet picking up pace when swore he heard his name softly whispered on the wind. However, the 'shoooooooshoo' sound cut it off, making him feel like he was finally beginning to lose his mind. Perhaps he was, but he knew for a fact that his senses still worked to perfection, and he just hoped that his beast was not creating the scent itself trying to get him moving to where it wanted him to go. However, the scent continued to caress his senses, and he breathed deeply to inhale as much as he could. After all, his nose seemed to think that if he took enough in he'd taste it upon his tongue –

\- Besides, the scent was beautiful, why waste it?

He walked for hours, never understanding how the scent had traveled so far. Perhaps it was merely his imagination, but the scent seemed to get stronger at certain moments, before breaking apart to where his beast began sniffing for it. It was clear to him now that his beast merely wanted to rut with the female, but he would not be driven to such meaningless desires, since the female would probably be killed in the end. After all, his darkening thoughts were still lingering in the back of his mind, making it nearly impossible to think about anything such as bodily pleasures. However, his beast was merely that, a beast that wanted something and thought he would jump to get it for him. Well, the animal was wrong, and would learn a lesson later on when he killed the female with his claws.

No one ran from him and got away. It was obvious that either the female was doing that, or he merely wished to create a female that was as perfect as his mother, searching for her until the end of his days. His thoughts would forever be his, but it would occupy him, and he was beginning to think that perhaps that was what was happening… until he came upon the northern border, which separated the Northern Lands from the Western Lands.

His nose rose into the air, sniffing delicately, trying to catch everything he could on the wind. However, it came at him from the west suddenly, making him turn when the scent assaulted him once more. His feet moved of their own accord, traveling into the deepest, darkest part of the forest and for a moment he felt like he was finally home. He felt like he could merely reach out and touch the darkness, watching as it twisted around his form before dragging him down into the darkest levels of Hell. Still, his mind continued to travel backward in time, and his thoughts were continued over and over again:  _Damn you, father, you let mother die… you let her die for your mortal bitch… you went away… she wanted to please you, making it your fault… you let mother die… you let her die… When this Sesshoumaru is strong enough, I will slice your head from your shoulders, before cutting your whore to pieces before your dying form… Yes, I shall take pleasure in that, father…_

On and on the torment of seeing his mother's form within his arms flashed around the thoughts. The knowledge that she'd died to please his father, while the male merely raced off to his ningen whore once more, probably to tell her the  _wonderful_  news, caused him to drift a little further. Still, another voice nagged at the back of his mind, asking him many things. Perhaps his mother's soul would find love once she returned to the world. Perhaps his father was crying within the arms of the whore he'd chosen. Perhaps… perhaps… perhaps…  _perhaps…_ continued over and over again, while maybe, maybe, maybe,  _maybe, maybe_  –

\- It continued until he could not take it anymore and thrust his poison filled claws into a tree nearby. It was then he heard the solemn voice just a little deeper beyond the trees. It was growled out, anger clear within its feminine depths.

"You should have more respect for the nature living around you, youngling." Sesshoumaru lifted his eyes, gazing beyond the trees at the most awe inspiring site he'd seen in his entire life. A woman, tori-youkai by smell, was lifted so her body was upright against the tree at her back, a tree that seemed to hold her youki within it. However, the strangest thing was her midsection was covered by the trunk, her body put at an angle that made her look as if she'd grown from the tree itself. He could see only one of her legs, half her thigh hanging from the inside of the tree while the rest of her long leg hung down limply—looking closer, however, he could see her other foot sticking out further down the trunk, telling him of her height. Both her hands seemed to be trapped within the tree's trunk, making her look as if she'd struggled greatly to get that far out. Glancing upward, Sesshoumaru took in the markings she held upon her face, the silver and black strips on her cheeks, along with an 'X' mark on her forehead, one line silver, the other black. Her midnight hair, silver streaks throughout the strands, hid her eyes from him, but when he looked close enough he could see flashing red and blue peeking out from beneath the bangs.

A golden chain hung from around her neck, a small round jewel hanging off the end. The power radiating from it was great, but he did not need power simply given to him—no, he would obtain it on his own. Her tattered clothing, which looked to have once been a royal purple, was sliced to pieces, most of it grown into the tree as she was, while the rest hung off her almost completely naked skin. She was  _almost_  completely naked because one of her naked breasts—full enough to fit in his hand, yet, not large enough to be overly so—was covered by a piece of bark which had grown over her chest, up over her shoulder until it connected with the tree once more. However, her other breast was firm, would have been bouncy if she was not attached to  _her_ tree, and shown in plain sight, the dark nipple perky in the cool air around them.

Her skin was paler than the moon, yet gave off the healthiest glow he'd ever seen. Just as her locks seemed to shine in the dark, though the vines from the, what he'd now concluded was a willow, were strung throughout them, giving them an earthy look. Now that he looked harder, he noticed that the vines were grown over almost each limb she had, but were thin enough to be unnoticeable.

He was about to speak when the female cut him off, "What do you want, youngling? What do you think you can find here?" Her voice was like the morning sun, yet it seemed to be chipped with ice that had formed over many years. Many, many heart fallen years that she could not control.

He could not seem to answer her question, and instead asked his own. "Who are you?" he said, walking closer, making sure his eyes were still cold and hard, making him look deadly to those around. However, the tori youkai merely gave a smirk, as he continued, " _What,_  are you?"

However, her eyes narrowed a little, before her lips turned into a neutral expression as she said, "What are you, youngling?" Her head never raised, but he had a faint feeling that her keen predator eyes were gazing at him like he was nothing more than scum behind her leg, which she had begun to swing back and forth against the tree she hung from.

Growling, Sesshoumaru felt anger rise within him, hotter than the anger he felt when he had learned of his father's affair; hotter than when he found his mother's dead body; hotter than any he had felt before. However, the demoness before him continued to smirk, her leg continuing its motions as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Do not speak to this Sesshoumaru as if he is just a pup to throw around for your pleasure!" he snapped, his fangs bore to the female. He noticed how her head tilted to the side, before turning to the other side quickly, as if trying to look at him from different angles, but she did not seem to be bothered by his sudden dose of anger.

Her neutral expression turned to amusement, obviously having dealt with this many times in the past. "Now, now, Sesshoumaru, no need to get hasty.  _This_ Kagome meant no harm, for  _she_ calls all wandering souls that."

"Wandering souls?" he asked. Seeing her nod, he snorted, saying, "You mean to tell this Sesshoumaru he is a wandering soul?"

"All souls who begin to split come here," she whispered. "You are beginning to swim in the darkness that surrounds us, Prince Sesshoumaru. You will soon be devoured by it, your inner youkai taking full control while you wallow inside your memories of the past…"

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "This Sesshoumaru will never lose that much control, wench!"

Her eyes, which were still covered by her hair, flashed a dangerous red, her pupils becoming a dark purple, while her wrists transformed into the rough skin of a birds, her talons probably forming inside the trunk. Her hair began to change, transforming into black features, when Sesshoumaru felt something slam against his back. It was not enough to throw him off balance, but he turned to find the branches of the trees whipping out at him, while the female screeched, "My name is Kagome;  _Ka-go-me_. Too many times have I been called a wench, along with many others names you men decide I am! You should know these, Sesshoumaru: whore, slut, cock sucking hag… oh, or perhaps you'd be more accustomed to this term, dog, youkai  _bitch_!"

Her body tugged away from the tree she resided on, before her body began changing into her true form—the smell golden chain around her neck transformed into a large silver chain, a small mirror, the jewel centered in the middle, hanging from the end. Her mouth stretched out, but before she completed her transformation she cried, "Do not cross me, young prince, for I control this part of the forest! I control this place you have been called to! I control your soul if I wish!"

The jewel shined through the darkness, and Sesshoumaru felt fear creep up his spine when his body suddenly stopped on him. He growled, angered that this female had gotten the upper hand on him, but when he managed to glance at her from the corner of his eye he noticed that she was no longer transforming, but had simple changed back to her humanoid form. It was strange, since her eyes were once more covered by her bangs, her head tilted downward while her lip curled up into a deadly smile, which told him that the magic working here was very ancient and he would not be able to control what happened.

"Tell me, Prince, what bothers your soul?" she whispered, her smile never wavering. The jewel around her neck glowed suddenly, before she said, "You tell me your story and I'll tell mine." Her smile turned even more cunning, the jewel around her neck glowing like the sun, brightening the darkness surrounding them. However, even though the darkness seemed to scream and shrink away it continued to leak its way up the trunk of her tree, wrapping itself around her body as if it were alive.

It was then he realized she was no ordinary demoness. Whoever had wronged her had corrupted her soul until she turned into a creature of darkness. A powerful female who sought out souls that began walking in darkness. For what reason he did not know, but this Kagome woman was deadly to him and to all. However, the tree she was on stopped her from leaving this place, and for that he was glad.

Opening his mouth, Sesshoumaru asked, "Why are you bound to that tree?"

Finally, her eyes lifted, and he was sucked into their blue depths, the dark oceans seeming to swim with gray. When she blinked they flashed to their red color, telling him that this demoness could be very dangerous to him. Especially when he took notice of the branches still pointed straight in his direction. Perhaps this demoness judged wandering souls more than questioned them. "That is a very long story, Prince Sesshoumaru. However, I shall not tell you my story until you tell me yours. Then I may help you from this place you have traveled to… I can stop you from becoming like me." Her breasts heaved upward as she sighed, her eyes blinking at him, before they rested halfway downward, barely peeking out at him.

Wanting his information, Sesshoumaru began telling her of his father's disloyalty, how his mother went out to please him, hopefully bringing him back into her arms, how his father continued to break the ancient laws of youkai by bedding another woman when he already had a mate. He told her everything, from the time when he first noticed his father's strange behavior, to when he buried his mother's remains. Something within him wanted to tell something; someone, and he felt his beast whine thoughtfully as he did, telling him that this was what he needed to do. Throughout the entire time the demoness Kagome remained silent, her eyes gazing at him as if she barely cared, yet her expression told him that she was interested in his tale, probably even becoming apart of it, since he felt the treads of magic caress his skin, weaving back to her entrapped body.

Kagome bowed her head when he finished, her magic showing her his life clearly within her mind. However, in the darkest reaches of her mind she felt her old life, when she was a complete soul, reaching out to touch her. However, she pushed it into the background once more, not wishing to be reminded that she was no longer a complete soul, but merely a half. She did not wish to remember the man she thought loved her, but in the end betrayed her, which locked her into this dark place. Over the centuries, however, she became accustomed to being alone, speaking with wandering souls and placing them back onto the path they were meant to take once more.

Closing her eyes for the longest time, she allowed his future to flow from the strings of time and into her body. She felt compassion when she saw the hardships he would face, but she suddenly felt joy rush through her body when she saw a familiar face underneath him, their body's link together in a passionate embrace. However, the voice of the future taiyoukai cause another smile to appear on her lips, happy to know that her other half would find happiness in the end. Her other half, which had been thrust into a life where it would forever be ningen, possibly miko each time, reminding her of her old life when its wandering self came to her, before she sent it on its way.

Nodding her head, she lifted her eyes, locking them with the unmoving prince once more, giving a small smirk. "Do you know why you are here, wanderer?" she asked, her fangs shining in the light made by the jewel around her neck.

"No," he whispered, his eyes haunted by his current life.

"Very well, wandering soul of Sesshoumaru, you have told me your story, I shall tell you mine in a shorter version then it happened. My life has been long lived since I was cursed to forever remain here, but before then… before that accursed wish I was a miko, a simple ningen who protected her village. My name had not always been Kagome, but it has long since passed when I forgot the name once given to me by my birth mother. My life, Prince Sesshoumaru, has been filled with many things: happiness, despair, love, torment, loneliness, joy, and destruction. However, Prince Sesshoumaru, these things were apart of my life before that accursed wish! Before I met that damned man who once ruled over the Northern Lands… who ruled this piece of land before the Western Lord, probably your grandfather drove him out," the demoness gave a soft sigh, "That, however, is only a summary of my life, before and after I was chosen to become the holder of the Shikon no Tama…

"I was young, and foolish, trying to protect a jewel with my powers, while protecting the village as well. However, those who possess the Shikon no Tama bring nothing but unhappiness to those around them, and in the end I left the village I was born in, becoming a wandering miko. I helped many; I was kind to all, no matter what they were: hanyou, youkai, or ningen, it did not matter to me. However, even the iron I used to create a sealing necklace did nothing to stop the youkai from coming after the power the Shikon no Tama possessed so many years' ago. Within time, though, I found a small village where another miko resided and she allowed me to stay because with our combined power we could easily fight off not only the village attackers but youkai, ningen, and hanyou coming for the Shikon around my neck," her eyes took on a haunted look, telling Sesshoumaru that she was reliving her life within her consciousness.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, wishing now that he could move, since he was accustomed to sitting before his mother when she told a story. However, he knew with this female he should not, for not only was she clearly not his mother, but she was poorly dressed, though that did not seem to bother her. It seemed that her modesty had been lost to the ages, along with most of her memories, since she was blinking away things, before apologizing for getting distracted. Still, his eyes stayed locked on the demoness who was bound to remain within this forest for the rest of eternity.

"I stayed for the longest time, the villagers treated me like I'd been born there, and I loved them as a mother loves her children," her eyes darkened with the words. "The current miko, however, died around ten years later, but she would always ask me why I never seemed to age… why I seemed to forever be young, though, clearly I was not. I found out many years later that the jewel around my neck thought of me as its truest, kindest, and most unselfish protector it had ever had, so it slowed my aging. However, watching people die around me from illness, old age—when I did not age—, war and famine I began trying to take my life. Of course, the Shikon would not allow this, and protected me from myself each time…" her voice was nothing but a whisper. "Still, even now, I wish for my death.

"As a shy, modest young maiden I never gave myself to a man. I believed that I should give my greatest gift to the man I learned to love, but every man I tried to love died years later. I knew they would, but still, I hoped that perhaps they would not. They did, they always did, in the end. The Shikon no Tama never gave me that, no, it never will," she growled in anger, her lips pulling back to show off her fangs. "However, after… hm… two hundred years of living I met the most beautiful youkai male. You have probably heard of him, have you not? He was a deer youkai, Lord of the Northern Lands years' ago. I believe he was called Sai."

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied, "I have heard of Sai. It is said that he took on a second mate, thrusting his first into the background, much like my father did."

Smiling, Kagome said, "Those stories are true, young prince. They are, for I was his first mate. True, for many years I was ningen, but he made me a promise. That through his love he would make me happy… that we would live together forever—that we would be mated once he found a way. That… we would be one." She stopped for a moment, her eyes flashing to their red form, doubling in size, "He lied."

Unsure as to what to say, Sesshoumaru replied, "Why would he lie about such things? They are sacred among youkai."

Though her eyes returned to their blue color, he knew her mood was still darkened by her slumped stance. "I do not know why he lied—at least, not completely. However, I do know now that he wanted my power; he wanted the power the Shikon might give when we mated. He did not get it then, and would never get it, for that is the way of the Jewel of Four Souls," she sighed, "You see, Sesshoumaru, I met him on the day he said we would mate. He told me in order to complete the bond he would need the Shikon, and like the fool I was I handed it over without question. I truly was a fool, for I would have seen the greed within his eyes otherwise, instead of the false love I was given.

"What a fool he was, as well," she began to ramble. "He truly thought the Shikon no Tama would hand over the power within it when we mated. I still, these many years after his wandering, his madness, his death, cannot believe that he believed that the Shikon would even give him an ounce of power. Not for his selfish wish, no. Oh, no, never for a wish that was based off his foolish desires to have the most loyal, who would also be the strongest female mate in the land." Turning her eyes toward Sesshoumaru, she said, "That is why the Shikon placed me in this form, you know. That is why I am a called the 'Black Phoenix of Hell'. He wished for me to be another deer youkai, yet I became a tori… poor him, ne?"

"No, not truly," Sesshoumaru replied. His ears continued to listen, understanding what she meant by her story being long. However, he sensed that she would soon end the story for some reason or other. Still –

"He made his wish, transforming me into this creature. However, after many years' together, Sai noticed one thing odd about me. I never told him, but after he made his selfish wish on the Shikon it became apart of me. The Shikon and I were one, just as it had wished to be, but the soul of Midoriko was disappointed with me, and decided my fate—that I shall tell you later, however, for I do not wish to go off on that at the moment, young prince. However, there was another factor that wasn't brought into the relationship before many years later when the soul of Midoriko visited me. She later told me that with the Shikon no Tama apart of my body I could not bare children, and when I told Sai out of love… he backhanded me, before disappearing suddenly for days on end…"

\- her story was beginning to sound a lot like his mother's. However, she was still alive, though something told him that she was not  _complete_  in a way. That she was not completely truthful when it came to her story… or perhaps it was something else underneath it.

"I shall tell you something else, Prince Sesshoumaru," she whispered, her eyes catching his. "I shall tell you this because I have told no one else, and I know, from seeing what you will become, that you need to know this. You see, Prince Sesshoumaru, my soul was ripped in half when the Shikon no Tama became apart of me. It could not survive within me, for my soul was too large, to massive. So, Midoriko ripped my soul in two when I had not noticed, melding together her soul with mine. However, my other half shall forever be ningen… when you meet her, youngling, her name shall be the same as mine. Best you remember that.

"Now, the end of my story, Sesshoumaru," she said. "My mate brought home a  _wife_  as he called her. However, that bitch quickly took over my place, before Midoriko decided it best not to completely allow my soul to break from the pain I felt. The pain that I was being cast aside for a female he met in the forest one day. I was a good mate, yet he wanted another! So, the day when I was crying beneath this tree was the day I felt its ki mix with my own, before suddenly I was sucked into a very dark place. A place where no one could reach me, before finally I blossomed into this creature like a flower.

"Though my soul was trapped inside this forest, eventually becoming one with all the nature around me, I was happy to know that Sai got what he deserved. My own youkai would not allow me to simple let him suffer, but to make him suffer, which was what I did, from right here. With all this magic, and my aura spread out through the forest it was quite easy, actually," she ended, giving another soft sigh. "Of course, my story is much longer, but the shortened version is easier to explain. My life has had too much disaster to put it all in words."

She coughed a little, her bouncing breast catching his attention. "Now, tell me wanderer, why are you here?"

"To stop the darkness from taking me," he whispered.

She nodded, "Yes, very good, youngling. You have learned well. However, you must keep this knowledge with you forever, even when you find yourself in the worse position. You must remember that though there is another side to life, you need to focus on the side you're living on, instead of both at once.

"Now, wanderer, who are you?" she asked.

"Sesshoumaru, Prince of the Western Lands, inuyoukai who will be faithful to his mate," he replied.

She dipped her head in acknowledgement, before casting her face to the side, saying, "You may leave now, Prince Sesshoumaru. Hopefully, we do not meet again in the future. However, should you meet my other half, make her happy, for though she will be a simple village ningen she shall have the kindest heart… she will be loyal to her friends.

"Now, goodbye," her voice became a whisper on the wind, before Sesshoumaru felt like he'd been blown out of the darkest reaches of the forest. However, in his line of sight were her eyes, which flashed again in the darkness, before his connection to her disappeared and he found himself once more in the light of the day. Though, at first he wished it were only a dream, he knew it was not for a simple reason: he did not dream while standing erect.

Turning from the entrance to the strangely bound youkai female named Kagome, however, Sesshoumaru began to walk, traveling, ready to face his future. Whatever they threw at him he would be ready for it, for her listening ears would more in likely hear him from wherever he decided to speak with her. However, for now he was traveling back to the home he wished to burn, though he knew that the ancient place would still be standing for many years. After all, not only should he cherish his future, but he should also cherish his past.

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru shot off at youkai speed, racing through the trees, wishing to simply feel the sun beating down on him for the rest of the day. Though his heart still ached for his dead mother, he knew that he had to continue on, cherishing the days he spent with his mother, remembering that she had lived, but never dwelling on the past forever. After all, that, too, could affect his future, and after meeting the bound youkai Kagome he no longer wished to simply let himself be overcome with darkness.

Light seemed more appealing now.

* * *

 


	2. Fate Mixed With Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate decided the punishment for not only making such a selfish wish on the Shikon no Tama, but for also taking a second mate when it came to Lord Sai. However, our young Prince Sesshoumaru wishes to know more, but only the creature of darkness, Kagome, can tell him the whole undivided truth.

A small, almost unnoticeable smirk formed on her lips as she watched the wandering soul of Sesshoumaru be thrown back into his body. She'd seen it many times, but this soul was different. The youkai prince, who'd been caught within the net of darkness beneath the shimmering light of existence, was very  _different_  indeed. Yes, he was very different, but he was also important, for though she did not know Midoriko's plan completely, she knew there might be a small chance she could be freed. She only wished the ancient miko would spare her in the end, allowing her to at least live a life far away from her other half.

Even when she continued to yearn for it after all these centuries…

Her predatory eyes lightened a little, her  _victim_  gone from her grasp, allowing her to slightly relax in her home, her home which swam with nothing but darkness and ancient magic long since lost to the outside world. What a perfect place to call home. Especially for the last, technically,  _living_  black phoenix youkai who might forever be bound to this bit of land. After all, she knew that if Midoriko wished it then the ancient Warrior Miko would hide her from the world, letting her live out her punishment for trusting a youkai such as Sai.

Strangely, though, it did not bother her as much as it used to. A decade ago she would have stretched her power out to torment some poor soul, cursing Midoriko for her fate, but now she had calmed. Yes, she still felt the raging hatred that came toward the rest of the world, those beings that walked on the land as if they owned it. However, for whatever reason, her blind rage had subsided and she felt like she could sleep for once in her very long punishment. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there exactly, but she did know that throughout that time she'd slept only a few times, afraid that the nightmares she'd experienced would return to her subconscious and haunt her until she became nothing but a weeping, weak, female who slumped over into a more back breaking position then she was originally in. She knew; she'd done it once. Not a pleasant experience for her either.

She could not sleep, though. It was her duty to place wandering souls back onto the path they were meant to take. Of course, there were a few times when she saw their future, merely seeing their form being sliced to pieces before her vision—she took pity on a few of them, killing them quickly without remorse. Others she saw herself killing for something they'd done to her home, or said about her position, and instantly wiped them from existence. After all, it wasn't going to ruin the forest outside Midoriko's magic seal, since the body to the soul crumbed to dust, whether they were ningen, youkai, or hanyou, it did not matter, the body merely blew away in millions of tiny pieces once she was done with their soul.

Still, there was the fact that at any moment a soul could walk straight into her home, jerking her awake. Another reason why she barely slept: Midoriko's soul would not allow her rest until she had redeemed herself for… well, being so selfish as to wanting love when it was clear the youkai did not love you in return. She still had to hope, though, that when she finally did redeem herself of her  _sin_ , Midoriko would set her free, whether it was to join together with her other half once more, or merely becoming a different type of youkai to walk the lands, one day finding what Midoriko thought she deserved for her good deeds.

Of course, she'd have to do something amazing first. She was sure turning the servants and guards inside Sai's castle against him wasn't enough to change Midoriko's mind about her current fate. Help the poorest soul walking the land or destroying some major evil would probably be higher on Midoriko's list. Still, she couldn't help but feel pride when she thought about not only the way she'd ruined Sai's kingdom, but also the fate that Midoriko had decided to give him. Perhaps an eternity in a small barely lit room, forever trying to find either the door or a window, while continuing to be haunted with the knowledge that he'd placed himself in that position by denying her love just because he could not have his child, would teach the bastard a lesson. Or, perhaps he would merely go completely insane. Either way, she liked what Midoriko had done to him… though, she did have a sinking feeling when it came to the fact of how his soul had found her when he first began to lose himself.

It had been a hectic evening, five souls coming to her at once, all eyeing her like she was a piece of flesh placed on the land for their enjoyment. Only two of them had made it back to their bodies, their minds switched back to the path they needed to take in order to stay far away from the female who'd crushed their companions within seconds. It really had been an easy feat to surround the other three in a tomb of soil, before crushing them within it, their blood splattering all over her home. She'd rejoiced in it, asking the others if they wished the same fate, or if they'd like to be returned to their bodies. When given the choice, they chose to run instead of fight. Not like they could fight against her.

It had been back when she first became apart of the darkness surrounding her. However, it was still clearer than most days within her minds eye. It had been before she knew that she could stretch her magic outside the borders of her prison and cause chaos wherever she chose within the Northern Lands. It had been after her  _mate_  decided to take on another mate, never once concealing the fact from the other lords', merely telling them his first mate had gone missing. Not exactly untrue, but it was not something she took pleasure in knowing, even now.

He'd come to her in some weird quirk of fate, his head down, his face forlorn, muttering about how he wanted to see his precious Kagome's face. How he wanted to hold her tightly, asking her never to leave him again since his second mate was the bitchiest female he'd ever met. However, this had not stopped her, and unlike most times she'd raised her head high, allowing her eyes to take him in, narrowing them upon his form when he finally stopped before her, sitting in the dirt, before shifting his feet around before him. He'd already seemed to have gone insane, and she'd had a strange feeling that Midoriko had been behind it. She had not dwelled long on that, though, calling to his attention.

Her eyes were the most powerful weapons she had. Not only could she terrify a wandering soul with them when they were hidden, but she could command their attention, lock them in place. Yes, the souls who'd come to her might have thought it was the reborn piece of the Shikon no Tama around her neck that caused that, but it was the magic she controlled, most of which she commanded and set free using her eyes. The Shikon around her neck was merely so Midoriko could cast away the darker side, the youkai that she still battled deep within it, from her own soul. Not like it helped, she was probably the darkest creature to have ever walked the land, or at least the greediest in Midoriko's eyes.

The woman had always been too perfect—to, picky.

When he finally looked up at her it was not surprising that he did not recognize her at all. He'd probably been drunk when he began to sway off the path he was chosen to lead, since he'd always been one to drink during certain events—or merely when he just felt the need to have a strong liquid rushing down the back of his throat. One of the many qualities she had not learned about him until after they mated –

\- One of the many things that would have turned her from him if Midoriko would have just given her some kind of sign that it was something he loved to do. However, that blasted woman had a thing about letting the person decided on their own, seeing if their soul was truly worthy of her care. After all, she was not like most miko, being a warrior did not help either. Midoriko had decided her fate then, becoming one of the bitter most enemies of hers till the very end. She still was, and she always would be until she was freed from her hellish prison and home! Really, the woman called herself a miko yet, she had allowed her to walk right into the fate that she had not wanted her to take, which in the end placed her into a place she had once feared and cried to her mother—when she was alive—to banish by lighting a small fire.

\- Sai had merely gazed at her, continuing his small conversation. However, what caused her breath to catch in her throat was his soul. She knew that his body was outside her domain, his soul merely sitting before her. After seeing what she saw, it was clear why he did not recognize her at first glance. His soul—his soul had been torn in two. Much like her own, except she could see where it had been split apart. His soul had looked like a piece of parchment that had been torn down the middle, one side tossed into the fire, the other placed back on the table for later use. Her's, she knew, had not been divided so harshly, for she would have felt Midoriko taking her apart piece by piece. No, Midoriko had been kind when she split her into two, making one repay for their crime, while the other lived the life that Midoriko had wanted her to live in the first place.

She'd shook her head, asking him what she asked all wandering souls, watching as he tilted his head to the side. It, at first, had seemed like she got stuck with the half of him that only knew her name, but not what she looked like. That was until he suddenly stood, coming to place his hand on her body, calling out her name, saying that he had finally found her. The poor deer had been caught in her trap when she allowed magic to take hold of him, her eyes widening as if she were ready to begin changing into her animal form. Though she continued to try and question the foolish soul, he had been confused about what she was doing and began cursing her to the seven levels of Hell. After telling her that he was happy about finally letting out the word that he'd taken a second mate when his first disappeared, he'd laughed in her face, causing her resolve to snap.

He was the only soul she did not set straight until his second visit. Of course by then he had been more insane than he originally started with. At least the second time he'd come before her he didn't seem insane, but talked civilly, his eye merely twitching. The second time he had not even realized who she was.

She'd learned then that she could watch the outside world using her magic. She'd watched him, her angering rising with each word, each action—each event that unfolded around him. Though she'd helped him return to his body with a little bit of understanding he'd gone back to his second mate and began doing things that he used to do with her. Midoriko had truly done a number on him, because at times when she watched him he could not even remember who he was, where he was, or what he had been doing. And of course she'd felt pity for him at first, until she'd learned that he was planning to do to his second mate what he'd done to her. The bitch had not bore him a son, but two daughters and he  **wanted**  a son. When she learned that the woman who'd taken her place was going to go through the Hell that she had… she allowed her powers to grip the mind of beings outside her domain for the first time, taking control of the servants, guards—everyone who worked within the Northern Castle had turned against him in an uprising, a rebellion.

However, that was only half the story, because she had a little help from Midoriko in her second piece of revenge over him. Before he'd been locked inside his little cage. Of course she'd like to get a little revenge on his other half as well, but she knew not where it was. Hell, it hadn't even come into her grasp once over the many centuries she'd been bound to her tree, which was strange. One half of him lost all sanity, but the other half was like an angel, escaping her grasp every time she thought she might get ahold of him.

Though she would have liked to, she hadn't taken out punishment on Sai's second mate or his daughters'. No, she'd allowed them to escape, running from her grasp, onto a boat where they probably traveled to the continent. Or they could have been lost at sea. Either way, it did not matter much to her.

She took pity on them and still Midoriko held her there. Centuries later she could still be found in the same spot, helping those around her. It was always the helping factor. Yes, Midoriko seemed to like that. Never, though, did she feel her prison even relax its hold around her. It bound her there, and if Midoriko had her way, it probably would for all eternity. Still, the knowledge that one half of Sai was going through a harsher treatment than she'd ever have to endure helped her along with her current  _life_.

At least knowing that she wasn't going to go insane.

oOo

His ear turned toward the library door, hearing the sound of rustling paper on the other side. It was not strange to hear, since his son was usually found within those walls reading about politics and treaties for when he one day became taiyoukai. However, though his son did not sleep much, or long, it was strange to hear these sounds so early in the morning. He'd finally returned from his beloved Izayoi's keep not only heavy hearted, but knowing that he would need to go out and find his dearest Sakura's body, place it on a stone table and have it set fire the way she always wished. He knew he'd done her injustice when he'd fallen victim to the charms of a ningen hime, but Sakura had never really held his heart tightly within her hands. She'd known that; she knew the cost.

Still, his son and heir could usually be found sitting in his window seal at this time, gazing out at the sky as if something amazing was about to shoot across the great expanse. Nothing ever did, but it was good to know that his son had decided to calm his rage by watching the sky instead of destroying homes and villages. Though he had a funny feeling that Sesshoumaru had thought about it when he did not come back with his mother's body the first time. He'd just been so sickened with the sight that he had to leave, or have every youkai watching see him shed tears of loss.

He was such a weak man.

Yet he was strong in so many other ways.

The sound of rustling was following by a sudden slamming of Sesshoumaru's fist against the wood of a table, before a feral growl was heard from inside. Touga blinked a few times, before placing his hand on the door and pushing it open, looking over toward his son who was currently standing next to the table, his head bent down to read whatever he had, while his hands were placed in fists on the wood. This did not surprise the mighty taiyoukai, though, for his son was easily frustrated when it came to many things. It was strange that he'd finally become sick of learning, though.

Perhaps the death of his mother was too much for the young lad? Well, he'd know as soon as Sesshoumaru began going insane, losing his mind to the fact that his mother had finally left the world. He couldn't help but feel ashamed that he could have stopped this if he'd merely turned his back away from the hime Izayoi when he first caught sight of her in her garden. It was his own fault this had happened, and it would be his fault if he had to kill his son if he lost himself to the bittersweet feeling of insanity.

 _Nothing_. Nothing except the fact that Lord Sai had started to act strangely, before a rebellion rose within the walls of his castle. There was nothing concerning his first mate, Kagome, nor what had happened to his second mate. It was as if the fools had been hypnotized, attacked their lord and master, before breaking out of their daze and wondering what had happened. It was probably not until after seeing Sai's head looped from his shoulders that they realized that someone, some _thing_ , had started a rebellion. Over what… he still did not know. There was nothing within the entire confines of his father's library that talked of Lord Sai, except trading, a few events, and occasional meetings between them. Nothing, though, on his death, or his two mates—it was as if every book had been wiped clean of the information.

The only other thing he could find was that after the report of Lord Sai's death many went to challenge whoever had claimed the title of Lord by killing the victor before them. That had gone on for nearly three decades before finally the other three taiyoukai, including his father, had put a stop to it by holding three tests. The first youkai to complete all three tests would be placed as taiyoukai. However, that was not what he wanted to learn about, for he wanted to know more about the tori-youkai Kagome.

Hell, there wasn't even anything on the jewel she'd called the Shikon no Tama. He would have thought that they'd have a record about a jewel that powerful. Or at least on the soul inside of it, what was her name, Mid… something. Midoriko, that was it. Sesshoumaru would have expected there to be something on the miko whose soul was trapped inside a small jewel, but there was nothing.  _Nothing_.

It was not something that was helping his current mood. He hadn't been happy to return to the House of the Moon. True, light was something he would cherish now, but the House of the Moon seemed so… distant when he first returned. His mother's light was gone, and it forever would be. It was his father's fault, and it was also his father's fault for not containing the information he currently wanted and placing it within their large library. Surely, surely, his father had heard of what happened, or at least of a miko who lived far longer than any other ningen because she contained a mighty, yet small, weapon around her neck. Then again, perhaps his father had never met Lord Sai's first mate, merely hearing that she was within the Northern Castle at the moment.

Still, even as he threw his hand to the side, knocking the scrolls onto the floor, where they clattered and slipped open, he knew that he would not find what he wanted within these walls. He would need to speak with his father if he wanted to –

\- Speaking of that bastard of a man, he was currently standing behind him, probably wondering why he'd just tossed ancient scrolls to the floor, most of which could have torn apart upon the landing. Sesshoumaru had not even realized that his father, Touga, had entered the library, obviously curious about the noise he'd been making. It was not his fault; he'd become angered that he could not obtain what he  **wanted**  to learn. However, it was strange that he had not sensed his father outside the room. Usually he would have known his father was so close, but perhaps it was because his mind was currently plagued with the thought of a certain tori-youkai female, or perhaps it was because he was still getting over the pain of losing his mother.

It was a shame he did not know it would pain him for many years, possibly centuries.

"Sesshoumaru," his father's firm voice filled his ears, "what, pray tell, are you doing in here?" He was not sure how to answer that, since if he told his father he was looking for information on a  _certain_  female his father might think he was beginning the search for a mate. Something in the back of his mind told him not to step over that boundary line for a while, however. Perhaps it was the words: " _…ripped my soul in two when I had not noticed, melding together her soul with mine. However, my other half shall forever be ningen… when you meet her, youngling, her name shall be the same as mine. Best you remember that…_ " Or perhaps it was merely his instincts; either way, he knew that searching for a mate was not on his list of to do's.

"Gaining knowledge, father," he growled, turning his face so he could see the male standing behind him. His father was wearing his traditional armor, and fur, his kimono smoothed to perfection, and Sesshoumaru had the feeling that his father was going to see his whore again. Still, the jagged blue markings, and nearly flaming golden eyes caught his attention, Touga's thin face holding the marking of the blue crescent moon regally. His long silver hair was tied up in a high ponytail; yes, Sesshoumaru could tell exactly where his father was going, for Touga always dressed to his best when he went to go see his little ningen hime.

Touga gave a small sigh, before saying, "How do you wish to do this when you're throwing around the items needed to gain this knowledge you seek, my son?"

Snorting, Sesshoumaru straightened his back, turning toward his face, while lifting his head to show he was not afraid of the mighty taiyoukai. When he caught his father's full attention, he said, "Knowledge can also come from one who has lived longer then one's self, father."

Smirking, Touga nodded, saying, "This is true, my son. However, why are you currently in the library searching through scrolls if you knew you would not find what you seek within its walls? Or… perhaps you were looking for something you thought would be found here, but found it could not be obtained."

Sesshoumaru remained silent, knowing his father wished to say more. He watched, his claws wishing to rip apart at his father's throat, knowing from his voice that he did not feel the same dread he did from the loss of his mother. It was obvious who cared for her, while the other male, standing before him, merely cared about bedding a ningen bitch that'd die unless marked in the ancient way of the youkai. However, since Touga was a taiyoukai she would also need to go through a very painful ceremony that blended her aura with his, since she could not mark him completely in return.

"Tell me, Sesshoumaru," Touga said. He paused for a moment, "I know you seek power, my son. You have for many years, now, even though I have been trying to stir you away from your current path. With that in mind, my son, why do you seek this knowledge, when I know you also seek power for yourself?"

Giving his own smirk, though very small, Sesshoumaru said, "For one to be a great ruler they must know all they can of the past so they can prepare for the future, father. After all, as it is said, ' _all living creatures are doomed to repeat themselves_ '. If we learned more about what has happened before us, we would not make the exact mistake, but merely one similar."

"Very wise, my son," Touga said. He dipped his head a little, before saying, "I hope you can find whatever it is you're looking for, Sesshoumaru." He turned to leave, walking out the door, and into his destiny.

However, even as Sesshoumaru turned back to the scrolls, bending down to not only pick them off the ground, but also to place them back on the shelves, he knew that his father's words were for nothing.  _Nothing_ , after all, was all he'd found during his time within the library. This, he knew, was because only one person might be able to tell him the full truth of the fate of not only Lord Sai, but his second mate, as well. That person was far out of his reach, unless he decided to go back into the darkness that had taken him when his mother died.

No, he would not return there! He'd promised himself that he would not return to that dreaded place with that blasted tori-youkai who controlled magic beyond his wildest dreams.


	3. An Ice Filled Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the birth to a bastard hanyou child, Sesshoumaru turns cold to the world, shoving his memories of the years before into the back of his mind. Meanwhile, the bound demoness watches with interest, knowing still that she cannot help with this change.

  
**Subtitle:** Birth to the Hanyou, Inuyasha

* * *

Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Time flew by for the Prince of the Western Lands, his mind forever pondering what might happen if he ever fell back into the place where the bound female, Kagome, resided. Time seemed to speed forward at certain moments of the day, causing day to turn to night, yet at other times it seemed not to move at all until he finally opened his eyes and allowed it to continue around him. Time, it seemed, was a very strange thing; it was something that would never be fully understandable by any type of man.

He might not have understood time completely, but he was not ignorant to the rumors that continued to fly around the lands, literally. His father might have been off with his little whore, but his messengers and spies were still within the castle walls. Many times they would go out to send a message of great importance to the Lord of the West—one which had traveled to the House of the Moon first, the one place he never seemed to be anymore. Most of the messengers were tori-youkai, none of them as interesting as the phoenix youkai he'd met, but good enough to deliver something quickly. Many times these youkai returned with rumors that had been spread along the small estate of the hime's home. Within days of their return it had spread over the entire House of the Moon and began breaking through its walls, traveling over the lands -

Most of them were little things: " _…They say that Lord Touga is trying to sire another child! A hanyou within the Western Line! He is going to ruin the lands…"_

"…The maids talk of sickness running throughout the estates, yet their hime, Izayoi, never catches anything. They believe that Lord Touga has already marked her, curing her of any ningen illness…"

"…A man, one of the guards, is said to be in love with hime Izayoi. It is said that their love was the greatest anyone had ever seen before Lord Touga stepped onto the grounds. Now, they say he is trying to find a way to kill Lord Touga and stop a babe from being born…"

"…They talk of rebellion…"

"…Weakness within the Western Line…"

\- Most of it he knew was over stretched. His father, the Great Dog General, trying to sire a hanyou child, that was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard the birds talk of. Yes, they traveled to many places, talked of many things, thinking it would never reach his or his father's ears, but most of it had been changed to sound more interesting. After all, they were merely trying to get attention from someone. They were all the same, power-hungry youkai who merely wanted the rumors to be true so that when his father committed the crime they could try to kill him before taking over the West. After all, the West was the richest and most plentiful between the four current sections.

Of course, most of it was merely what he remembered. There were many more floating around their home, but most of them were not important enough for him to truly remember. After all, why should he, a prince among youkai, listen to such rubbish, when most of it was probably just their over active imaginations at work. They were, after all, said to be very…  _overreaching_  when it came to the actual truth. In this case, he was probably right to follow his judgement on the situation. Besides, it was his father's mistake, not his –

\- Though, he was destined to also meet the other half of Kagome… The demoness, her other half since her soul had been split in two, had said she'd never told anyone that her other half was destined to be a ningen woman, a miko most of the time. Why had she told him this if he was not destined to be some major part of that piece's life? Whatever form she took he knew her name would be Kagome, so she would not be hard to find. True, among ningen she might be difficult to track down, but he was sure that within a matter of years, or whenever he was fated to meet her, he would know who she was. After all, he'd met her other half and if she was anything like her then she was going to have an attitude, think she could control those around her—alright,  _the_  demoness  **could** —, and she would probably love the nature that surrounded her. For a miko… wasn't that normal?

Sighing, he told himself he did not know. Yes, throughout his years he had met a few mikos', but most of which were on his father's command. The others, he didn't think there were any others. He wasn't positive about these things when it came to a miko. The only thing he was truly sure of when it came to a priestess was this fact: they could purify a demon straight to Hell.

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru changed his subject of topic to think upon. Mikos', demonesses' who were bound to darkness, and rumors were not the things he wished to think upon anyway. No, he had far more important things he could be going over… he just… well, he couldn't think of anything at the moment. However, he managed to turn his thoughts to the time, about three weeks ago, when his father returned to the House of the Moon for the first time since he last saw him leave, after their conversation within the library. He turned his thoughts not to his father upon return, but the weapons that his father took with him when he left once more.

In fact, he, himself, had not even noticed that his father had not taken his weapons with him. No, they'd been stored in the Lord's Room, one, probably the most powerful, placed within a magically sealed box. However, even he lusted for the power of two of those swords. The third, well, it was from the fang of his father and he just did not feel the need to bring people back from the dead. That was what the Tenseiga did, though some might have thought nothing could ever do such a thing.

Tetsusaiga was the Sword to Protect Man—yes, the sword that was meant to protect those between Heaven and Hell, those who resided and lived upon the soils of Nihon. This sword, however, was also made from his father's fang, which would make it an honor to wield. He wanted this sword, not only because it was one of the most powerful weapons he'd ever seen, but because of the respect he would earn by wielding it before his enemies and allies. His father had once showed him the Kaze no Kizu, but often told him that the Tetsusaiga had so much more potential, and one day he might be the one to unleash it. He  **wanted**  to be that  _person_ , that youkai! He wanted to prove to his father that he could protect the land that would someday belong to him.

Tenseiga was also a sword made from his father's fang; they called it the Sword of Heaven. The name itself might have proved that it could indeed bring a person back to life, but this sword, according to his father, could not be wielded by just anyone. Only one who cared for someone else with their heart could bring back their soul from the chains of Hell or drag it back from Heaven.

Sighing once more, he placed his head within his hand, wondering why he hadn't thought of it sooner… or at least when the event took place. His father always said that a soul, once completely taken, could not be brought back, but perhaps his mother's soul had fought to stay in the mortal world. Perhaps he'd buried her when he could have used the Tenseiga to bring her back from the dead. He was such a baka for not thinking of it then… No, his father was the baka because he had not taken anything but Sou'unga with him when he went to take out the youkai who'd slaughtered a piece of their life. He did not wish to think on the subject for long, knowing that he might begin whimpering soon because of the pain he still felt at the memory of his mother, a beautiful woman by the name of Sakura. So, he turned his thoughts back to the swords his father carried.

The final sword, a weapon capable of calling forth a dragon from the pits of the underworld, was known was Sou'unga, the Sword of Hell. His father had always been reluctant to tell him about this one and only sword. After all, his father was the youkai who'd finally gotten the evil inside it to calm and reside, allowing him to wield it without controlling his mind to the brink of insanity. Sou'unga's goal, from what he'd heard, was to take over the mind of someone powerful and destroy everything within its path, making the person the Supreme Ruler of the Land. Still, the Dragon Twister, Sou'unga's mightiest attack, was just as dazzling as the chaos it caused. He knew for he'd seen his father use it once, but after that his father had told him that Sou'unga was a deadly weapon and if used correctly could destroy everything they knew.

Sighing to himself, Sesshoumaru shook away the memory of his father walking out the gates once more. Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga had been placed at his side, both sheathed yet, giving off an ounce of the power they held. Sou'unga had been placed on his back, its hilt adjusted so it was just a little higher than his father's head. It had been a bit saddening to watch his father walk out of his life once more, his heart feeling like it had been smacked into the dirt, telling him his father cared more for this new woman then his only son. He would have thought that after eight months his father would have gotten tired of this ningen hime, yet he continued to spend large amounts of time with her.

He didn't understand it, since ningen were usually frightened of youkai unless they saved them, either on purpose or on accident. Surely this ningen hime, Izayoi as he learned her name was, had been frightened of his father when she first saw him. Apparently, though, his father had done something to make the little ningen's heart be placed in his hand. Why he would want the heart of a ningen, the adoration that she probably gazed at him with each day, was beyond his young mind. After all, his father was always said to be a strange inuyoukai, and he was starting to see why.

Hopefully, he, Sesshoumaru, would not follow him his footsteps. They might have said, ' _like father, like son_ ' but he was nothing like his father. His father liked to show emotions, while he liked to guard them from his enemies. He was sure that would be his father's downfall—he would not suffer the same fate if he could help it. His heart belonged to him and him alone.

oOo

Her eyes had changed from a dark blue to shimmering lavender as she watched the outside world through her powers. She usually wouldn't use this ability when she could help it, but she had this sinking feeling that usually told her of an evil that would begin rising within a few years. She was searching the lands, her ability to see over the Northern Lands and a bit of the Western Lands looking into even the smallest crack to find the creature she wished to destroy. However, her ability was not enough for even after a week of searching she had not found a thing. Probably because the evil had moved when she had to deal with a wandering soul.

Sighing to herself, Kagome allowed her eyes to close, her vision of the outside world disconnecting from her. She no longer needed to see the outside. She had felt something else, something that had stirred within the Western Lands—a death would take place, one that would change the Western Lands, changing it either for the good of the lands, or perhaps destroying them. It did not matter much to her, for she knew that the Prince Sesshoumaru would live. After all, her other half was still searching for a womb to place herself within.

It was strange she knew this, but she did. She had always guessed it to be her instincts, but she knew when her other half was going to place itself inside a woman's womb, becoming a child once again. She knew when it strayed off its fate, for it was brought before her. She knew when it died, for she felt the anger it felt at times, knowing it could die easily, while its other half lived forever—or as long as Midoriko wished it.

Something else caused chaos within her mind, though. She'd always known that her other half held something that could be dangerous to the world inside her body each time she was born. However, she'd seen something inside her mind, something that she had not noticed when she looked into the future before. It had been glowing a light purple in color, it had round, and she had a funny feeling Midoriko was apart of her other half as well. As if when she split her soul, Midoriko had split her own to watch them both. Why would she do that, though? Still, it had to be the only explanation, for what she saw was the Shikon no Tama, slightly tainted.

There couldn't be two, because she was apart of the Shikon, Midoriko was one with her. So, Midoriko must have thought forward in time, trying to play with fate. That was confusing to her, since she knew that Midoriko liked to allow a person to decide their own fate, to see if they were willing to continue on the path they were destined for, instead of trying to do something completely different.

Midoriko was always trying to find the most perfect of people within the world.

Still, her eyes gazed ahead of her when she saw the outline of a soul coming toward her. It was not strange to see, but it was strange that she had not felt it coming. It was as if she had suddenly felt her prison slacken on her, and she felt the need to grin. Perhaps Midoriko was finally starting to see that she could not live this way, she needed to be free to truly show that she was worthy of watching over the Shikon no Tama. After all, it wasn't like she was going to make the same mistake twice—she would never love again if Midoriko just let her free.

The soul came closer, until she saw it come before her. The womanly figure stood before her, the obviously ningen woman staring around in fright. Almost instantly Kagome felt her powers kick in, her mind telling her the woman had had a hanyou child, and tried to drown it so she could live alone in a village without anyone trying to kill them. Though the story was slightly disturbing, Kagome kept her face blank, her eyes staring through her hair. However, the story continued, telling her that the father of the child had come before she could completely drown the child, smacking her away, and taking the child. Now, the woman was heartbroken because though she'd wanted to destroy the youkai within the hanyou she had loved her child, but now she merely wished to die because she did not know that within a few weeks the father would return for her, taking her back to his cave where they'd live together for many years.

It was a woman, though. She'd need to take a little different approach when it came to her. "Hello," she began, gaining the woman's attention, "tell me, dear wanderer, what crime do you think you have committed?"

The woman stared up at her, before saying, "Crime?" Her eyes turned hard, "You're the one who's committing a crime, wandering around  _naked_  as the day you were born! Have you no modesty youkai?"

Snorting, Kagome turned her head away. She hadn't realized this woman would suddenly turn her anger onto her. She'd have to be hard, instead of soft when it came to this woman. So, she turned back toward her, smirking, showing off her pointed fangs, "You, ningen, are within my home. Only those who have gone across the borderline of their fate come here. Besides, I  **am**  youkai; I do not need to be modest like you pathetic ningen women. Unlike you, I would walk through an entire forest without clothing if I could, but as you can see, it is clear I cannot."

The woman broke down into sobs, "I have done nothing wrong, baka-youkai. It is  _he_  who has taken my child who should be here. Not I."

"Do you not know the name of the father of your child, woman?" she asked, her smirk growing a bit larger. It was always fun to play with the souls of people. Though, most forgot everything except the final words she gave them, usually the final farewell. Still, this woman was most amusing. Well, besides the tears she was currently allowing to flood from her eyes—the smell of salt assaulting her nose. Salt was always something she hated smelling when she first became a youkai and it seemed that even now she didn't like the smell lifting into her nostrils.

The woman sniffled, before beginning to shake a little. "I do, demoness. Unfortunately, I  **do**. However, that bastard youkai does not deserve a name!" Her sobs seemed to lodge themselves in her throat as she gave off only half a sob each time, each seeming to be cut in half as they rose from her lungs.

"Oh," Kagome replied, raising an eyebrow the woman could not see. "Hm… tell me, Abi, why you tried to drown your child? Tell me your thoughts at that moment."

Abi glanced up at the demoness in surprise, saying, "You… you know that I tried to drown her? But how could you possibly know that I tried to take Oto's(1)life?" Her eyes held deeper confusion as she said, "How, demoness, did you even know my name?"

Sighing, Kagome said, "I told you, Abi, that you are in my domain, my home, the place I control. I help those who come here, those who cannot draw themselves away from the darkness that has begun to surround them; those who have strayed from the path they were chosen to take. I know all about the souls that come here, and since you are here, Abi, I know all about you." She did not understand how the woman did not realize this, but it could be just because her mind was more on her child, this Oto. Or perhaps the woman was not educated enough to understand that, or at least put the pieces together enough to realize it.

Abi was still confused, and asked, "What are you? Surely you are an immortal goddess to have such power over the souls of others?" Awe filled her eyes suddenly, as if she were looking upon the place known as Takamagahara—The High Plain of Heaven. She gazed at Kagome as if she truly were a goddess that was trapped on the Earth, and though she did not know it, Kagome at that moment felt like she truly was.

 _Now that sounded more intelligent_ , Kagome thought. She allowed her smirk to fade, before saying, "All youkai are immortal unless killed, Abi. I am bound here for reasons that you may not understand. Tell me, Abi, have you ever heard of the Shikon no Tama?"

"The Shikon no Tama?" Abi said. "Oh, yes, I have heard of the jewel that can grant any wish desired, but only a pure wish will allow it to leave the plains of the existence. I've heard this tale since I was a child. The tale of the Shikon Miko, the one who disappeared along with the jewel, has been passed on through my village for many years."

Bowing her head further, Kagome began righting the woman, telling her that if she merely went back to her village and lived the life of a normal woman her life would take a turn for the better. Though the woman was a little reluctant to do this at first, Kagome finally convinced her that within a few years her child could come searching for her, and she'd need to be in the same place for Oto to find her. She knew that the father would come within a few weeks, perhaps a month from that very moment, but within an hour she allowed the soul to return to its body with a, "Farewell, Abi. Live long."

Though she lowered her head until her chin was resting against her chest, she did not realize that a powerful youkai was going to say nearly the same thing to another ningen woman. What she did not know, since she could not see much of the Western Lands, was that the Prince Sesshoumaru was soon going to become Lord of the West. Her vision from when he had visited her had long since faded, new and wonderful things filling her head, causing envy to swell within her for those who could walk away from the edge of her forest and live a life she could only hope for.

oOo

His nose twitched at the scent of blood. His father's blood. He'd remembered sending out a challenge for the title of Lord to his father while he was with his ningen whore, and it appeared that his father had actually gone to battle with the dragon known as Ryuukotsusei. The scent of blood told him that the battle had been almost more then his father could take, and it surprised him. His father was the most powerful youkai in the land; he shouldn't smell like he'd been up against twenty different opponents, each one near to his strength. Another thing that began haunting his mind was why his father had even took up the challenge, unless… the dragon threatened the life of Touga's ningen hime. He knew his father—he would protect what he cared for, no matter what their blood and heritage made them.

Looking through the window toward the dusking sun, he saw that his father wasn't coming toward the House of the Moon at all. No, his father was beginning to move toward the beach that laid about four miles away from the palace. It was the fastest way to Izayoi's Keep, and he had this feeling that something much larger than simply a challenge to be Lord of the Western Lands was happening around them. Perhaps the dragon had gained an alliance with the people inside the hime's estate, and had told his father that there was going to be nothing left when he returned to his precious lady's side. It would not surprise him, since the fastest way to target someone, to make them blind with rage, was to go after something they held close to their heart.

His father's dark form left behind trails of blood, but Sesshoumaru turned from the window. He'd go to his father, for something told him that this might be the last time he ever saw the youkai. It slightly disturbed him, but he felt the need to put on a new kimono, since the one he normally wore was covered in the blood of a youkai who'd come to the House of the Moon thinking that the Prince of the Western Lands would be a weak opponent. His father had taught him well, however, and he had learned everything he could from him, making him near to his father's strength.

The sun had disappeared beneath the western horizon by the time he'd been changed completely by the servants. However, he sensed that his father was still waiting for him, and simply rose on his demonic cloud into the sky to meet the old bastard. Wind fought against him as he traveled, his eyes turning toward the sky as it began filling with stars, before the clouds began moving in, snow falling lightly. Truly it would have been beautiful if he did not feel his heart begin to turn cold, much like when he felt his mother was not going to return from her battle. However, he promised himself he would not return to the demoness Kagome, and he was going to keep that promise no matter what, which meant he was not going to allow him thoughts to turn to darkness.

The trip was short, and within a matter of moments he saw his father's form standing on the edge of the sea. The water was up to his father's feet upon the shore, but the tide quickly receded back into the sea's great expanse before shifting its direction and returning to the tip of his father's boots. What surprised him, though, was the blood still dripping from his father's wounds, and even from the distance he could hear his father talking with his small retainer, Myouga. What he heard only deepened the feelings he was currently having.

Landing on the snow covered sand, Sesshoumaru began walking forward, realizing finally just how long his father had been gone. When he stood twenty or so feet away from his father's form, he stopped, listening to the sound of the wind as it picked up his loose clothing, boa, and hair. His eyes, however, watched his father as the Great Dog General lifted his head toward the sky for a moment, before looking down to watch as the tide caught a crab within its grip and drug it back out into the ocean of saltwater.

Sesshoumaru felt like he was being surrounded in a tomb of ice for a moment. His heart seemed to harden, then bleed, before hardening again. Something about this told him that his father was not going to survive whatever he was going to face, but something else hit him. The smell… the smell that told him his father had succeeded in creating a hanyou child. The smell that caused his thoughts of conquest to return to the forefront of his mind, while telling him the reason why his father had gone into battle with the dragon Ryuukotsusei—the dragon had threatened the life of his bastard half-sibling.

He watched as the tides rolled higher, each larger then the last. His hardening eyes took in the blood that dropped from his father's hand and onto the snow below them. It had been so long since his father had returned to the House of the Moon, and now he, Sesshoumaru, was certain that his father was going to save that hime, Izayoi, from death. That meant his father was always going to save the half-breed they'd created. The words that formed on his lips were not what he expected, but Sesshoumaru also did not expect for his heart to begin freezing over so quickly.

"Father, do you insist on going?" he said. He wasn't even sure if his father was going, but what the taiyoukai said confirmed that he was. Thus, Sesshoumaru's thoughts turned to the swords his father was carrying. His eyes touched each of them for a moment, as his father continued to gaze out toward the sea.

His father's voice was as firm as always, when he said, "Do you intend to stop me, Sesshoumaru?" He never turned, he knew that his son was becoming the kind of ruler he would one day be. Even he, Touga, knew that he would not return from this trip. No, but Izayoi's life was much more important then his own, besides he felt that his life should have past on long before this moment.

Snow continued to fall, the wind seeming to be endless, as Sesshoumaru replied, "I will not stand in your way. However, before you go, you must entrust the swords' Sou'unga and Tetsusaiga to me." His eyes dragged over his father's bloodied clothing as he said this, knowing that the Lord of the Western Lands would not survive another battle, even if it were against an army of ningen soldiers. The swords', though, were something that should not be simply handed into an unworthy human's hand.

"And if I refuse, will you kill me, your own father?" Touga asked. He felt the wind drag his high ponytail to the right, but he paid little attention to it as he gazed out at the sea. He knew what he must do, he had to protect Izayoi, and in doing so he would give up his life.

Listening to the sound of the tide, Touga lowered his head a bit, ashamed that his son had returned to this state. Even with his low amount of visits he had felt that his son would be a kind ruler, yet it appeared that Sesshoumaru would protect the lands with an iron fist, allowing those who lived within the Western Borders to have freedom, yet destroying those who stood in his path for conquest. It was what caused him to sigh, saying, "Do you desire power so much?" Once more he asked his son, "Why do you seek power, my son?"

Feeling his heart completely ice over his with father's words, Sesshoumaru shoved his memories into the back of his mind, only conquest firm in his grasp. "The path I walk is the way of supreme conquest," he began, "and it is power that will reveal the way for me."

Touga took in a deep breath, his eyes saddened by his son's words. He knew that what he was doing was causing this sudden change within Sesshoumaru, but perhaps it was for the best. However, he would not simply hand the swords' to his son. No, Sesshoumaru had to earn the right to have them within his grasp. He needed something more then he already had to even control either of the swords' he wanted. Tilting his head a little lower, Touga repeated, "Supreme conquest" as if it were the lowest thing he could speak of.

His head raised a little, his deep voice replying to his son, "Tell me, Sesshoumaru, have you someone to protect?" The wind continued to howl in his ears, but he sealed Sesshoumaru's fate when it came to the Sou'unga and Tetsusaiga when he finally replied. After all, he was sure that one day Sesshoumaru would understand what he meant when he said this. For now, however, his son would be left in the dark… or as close to it as he was willing to get.

His son could not fool him. He'd walked off his path once, meeting the beautiful and enchanting first mate of Lord Sai. It was before he'd met his dearest Sakura. It was before he'd sired Sesshoumaru. However, the phoenix youkai had not fooled him, for he'd met her twice before, once when she was a ningen holding the Shikon no Tama, when he'd protected her from a band of youkai who'd ganged up on her, trying to get the jewel hanging around her neck, and again when she looked so saddened yet, at the same time she looked so happy to be with the deer Sai. It had been strange to find out later that they were one and the same, but still his son could not fool him when he returned to the House of the Moon. It was obvious who'd turned his son away from destroying villages, and beginning to slide into the bittersweet life of insanity. Kagome had done wonders for the boy, but it seemed now that Sesshoumaru was beginning to turn back to the boy he knew before his mother's death.

"Protect?" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, before saying, "The answer is 'no', I, Sesshoumaru, have no need of such." His right arm moved out horizontally to his side. He knew his father's thoughts before a magical wind picked up around him, suddenly transforming him into the large white inu that he truly was. He braced himself, thinking for a moment his father was going to attack him, but as his father let out a canine roar he flew into the sky, blood continuing to fall from his wounds. Instantly, Sesshoumaru knew that his father had denied his demand, and was never going to allow him to have Tetsusaiga or Sou'unga until he had this person to protect.

The words continued to plague his mind for a moment, " _…have you someone to protect…?_ " However, his memories were already fading, and he merely said, "Why would I need to waste my time protecting someone? Ridiculous." He knew, though, that if his father had not decided to go kill himself for that blasted ningen hime then he would not feel this way. No, for even though his mother would be gone his father would still be at his side. Now, though, he was not.

Giving a huff, Sesshoumaru knew that he would not see his father again, and turned to return to the House of the Moon. He would be Lord soon, and the challengers who came to try and take the Western Throne from him would soon learn that he was Sesshoumaru, Son of the Great Dog General, Touga, Lord of the Western Lands, Prince of Dogs, and a male who would not allow anyone to take his birthright from him.

oOo

Touga flew through the sky, his wounds ripping open a bit further as he allowed his paws to pace as if he were running, pushing him forward. He was massive in size even when he wasn't in full form, the largest ever known inuyoukai, he knew, but he was not concerned about that. Even as he cleared the large space keeping him from reaching the forest outside Izayoi's estate, he merely landed with a soft impact, the ground sinking a bit beneath him, before he shot off again.

His paws crunched against the snow, but he paid little attention to it, his eyes focused ahead of him. He was traveling at a great pace, the forest zipping by him as his thoughts continued to think of Izayoi's health. He knew that she was in birthing, but he had this nagging feeling that Tenseiga would soon be needed. Unlike his son he knew how to love, and how to care for another, which would allow him to use the Tenseiga when he wished it, instead of the sword pulsing when it wanted to save a soul.

Myouga clung to his fur next to his ear, continuing to plead about his rash behavior. However, Touga merely listened as the flea begged him to reconsider, to think about his unhealed wounds from his battle with that blasted Ryuukotsusei. The dragon had put up a strong fight, but he'd finally, in his true form, managed to place a seal on him, locking him in place on the side of a mountain. Now was not the time to think of that, though, as he turned his attention to Myouga. His red eyes shifted back, trying to see his small retainer, before saying, "That does not matter, I cannot afford to lose her!"

"Please, my lord," Myouga begged. He crawled closer to Touga's eye to see him shift back toward his surrounding, before they narrowed.

Continuing, Touga said, "Besides, I am not long for this world."

Shaking his head, feeling the great dog pace beneath him, Myouga cried, "Master!"

Touga paid little attention, though. The feeling he had continued, until he was racing at breakneck speed toward the estate. Izayoi needed him! Besides, he did not trust that bastard Takemaru. He'd long since heard that the guard had fallen in love with Izayoi, and even as he raced up the side of the mountain just toward the east of the estates, he brought his head back and let out his canine roar once more, just as the lunar eclipse took full form, and the moon disappeared behind total darkness.

 _Izayoi, I'm coming for you_ , he thought. With another mighty roar, he leapt from his perch, and landed in front of the gates to the main building, returning to his humanoid appearance. He heard the faint cry of an infant inside, and pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath, raising it with both hands above his head, and calling out, "Kaze no Kizu!" While the dust and soil that had gathered around him on his impact covered the main blast, he watched as it cut through it, taking out most of the ningen's in his way.

It blasted the gates apart, and he began rushing forward as he saw more soldiers come through to stop him. He paid little heed as even the archers pulled back their bowstrings and launched a band of arrows upon him. No, Touga paid no attention to this, merely allowing most of them to hit him, before twisting into a sudden circle and allowing the 'Kaze no Kizu' to once more be unleashed from his mighty weapon.

The armed guards were taken out with ease, each one of them flying away from the completely destroyed wall. Most of them probably died on impact, but Touga continued forward, his mindset on one thing and one thing only. Izayoi. As he ran through the gates he even called out her name a few times, before allowing his feet to rush forward.

It was then that bastard Takemaru decided to come forward. Touga paid barely any attention as the man said, "At last you've come youkai. I'm afraid you're a little late though." This was what made Touga turn his attention to the bastard standing on a platform above him. Asking him what he meant, Touga listened as Takemaru continued, "Lady Izayoi is beyond your reach now. I dispatched her myself."

Growling, Touga bared his fangs a little, saying, "Damn you, you fool!" Touga ran forward, watching in slight amusement as Takemaru pulled his sword from its sheath. However, even as he watched the man come at him, before removing him of his arm, Touga continued into the building, which had suddenly been assaulted with flaming arrows assuming that it was Takemaru who'd told them to set the place ablaze. It was a good thing he'd gone to an old friend before even passing the House of the Moon, or he would not be carrying the haori made from the Fur of the Fire Rat with him.

However, Touga raced toward the sound of an infants cry. His second born son needed its mother, which was why he sheathed Tetsusaiga, and went straight through a burning doorway. He gazed at the burning screen, before moving forward quickly to push it to the side and out of the way. He called out to Izayoi once to see if her soul was still within the mortal world, but when he got no reply from the blood soaked woman he whispered, "Izayoi" once again. Without hesitation he drew Tenseiga from his side, and said, "Carry out my will, Tenseiga" when the youkai of Hell appeared before his eyes. He slashed through them and watched as Izayoi's form was suddenly healed of all wounds, her eyes turning up toward him.

Sheathing the sword he pulled the haori from his side, and draped it over Izayoi's head and shoulders. It was then he heard the sound of footsteps coming toward the door, and the smell of Takemaru overpowered the smell of burning wood as the bastard dare step into the room. Takemaru was breathing heavily as he stood at Izayoi's side, knowing that she was currently gazing up at him. However, his eyes were set on his opponent.

His hand reached up, pulling Sou'unga from its sheath, before bringing it down in an arch at his side. As he heard Izayoi stand behind him, he listened to the sound of the infant's cries, before gripping Sou'unga's hilt with both hands. He had heard what Takemaru said, and he planned on taking the bastard to Hell with him when he died. Before he did anything, though, he said, "Live long."

Izayoi gasped, saying, "My dearest." Her heart ached, knowing by his words that he would not be coming out with her alive. However, she would do as he told her. Live long. Yes, she would live long is that's what he wished. Touga, her dearest youkai, held her heart tightly, after all.

The building began to collapse around them, as Touga said, "Inuyasha."

Confusion was written clear on Takemaru's face, as he said, "What is that?"

Smirking a little, Touga said, "The infant's name. The child shall be called Inuyasha." He heard Izayoi give a small sigh, before whispering the name herself. However, he faced off with Takemaru, before growling, "Now, go!"

Izayoi gave a small nod to his back, before replying, "H—Yes!" She moved toward the exit, easily getting out without being burned. She knew it was because of the haori draped over her, but her heart continued to ache as she let tears of loss pour from her eyes. She raced up the hillside, away from the battle, knowing that inside her dearest Touga was giving his life for her and her child.

Touga clashed swords with Takemaru, after calling forth the power of Sou'unga. He knew what it would cause, and he was not surprised when the entire building crashed down around them, his life suddenly fading away. His body would turn to ashes, but he knew that his retainer, and dearest friend would take care of his three swords'. Still, he held no regrets for giving his life to save Izayoi's and Inuyasha's. That, after all, was what made him stronger.

oOo

Deep within a place unknown a wicked soul twisted and turned. It screamed in agony as a change continued to take place within it. However, power seemed to flood within its very being, as it moved throughout the world. Though a mortal man could not find the place it resided, it continued to search for what it needed. What it wanted in order to live in the continuously changing world. Power continued to flood into its body, and it had a feeling that soon,  _very_  soon, it would obtain what it wanted to live within the mortal world once more. Still, it had to be perfect, perfectly evil, or it would not take form, for it wanted to wreak havoc on the Earth.

Midoriko had sealed what she thought was the more evil half, yet what she did not realize was that after many years, rolling the information about why he had been thrust into another body the first time yet with the memories of his past life, he'd decided that the next time he was reincarnated he would find Kagome's ningen half and he would destroy her. Every time she returned to the Earth he would search her out and kill her, thus taking out his anger he felt on the being that should have given him ultimate power when he mated with her.

That bitch lied to him! She would pay for that!

As it waited, though, it was rewarded for it finally found what it wanted. A man who had began giving his soul to the weaker youkai around him. A man known as Onigumo, a bandit who had fallen in love with a miko by the name of Yumi—that same miko had been taking care of him, but she was in love with a full-blooded youkai, and Onigumo resented that. Onigumo wanted the miko for himself, yet every time he saw her leave the cave he was lying in the youkai she loved came to her side, sneering toward the bandit, before taking the miko away from his sight.

When the bandit gave his soul away, it took its chance and became one with the bandit. Though the ningen man did not know it, when he transformed into a hanyou of pure evil, another being was born within him. A being that could have been more evil than even the hanyou was born within him, the soul that would be his forever more. True, the hanyou might think that he was the one who devised all his evil plots, or put thoughts of chaos into his own mind, but truly it would be him!

He, Sai, half a soul—once a deer mated to the tori-youkai named Kagome. A male who'd turned completely evil while serving his punishment. Now, however, he was no longer Sai. No, now he was something much, much worse. True, he'd once been full youkai, and now he was merely half, but if he could obtain the Shikon no Tama from the twin half of his once beloved demoness, then he could transform himself into a force of mass destruction. Into the evilest youkai to have ever been created when fate missed a beat.


	4. Memories Forgotten Reborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sesshoumaru has become a powerful leader; hateful still that he did not get the two swords' he wanted, which continues to push his memories of before into the darkest depths of his mind. However, when he meets the miko half of Kagome, these memories return to his mind, and something within him seems to warm, his ice beginning to break.

  
**Subtitle:** The Miko, Kagome

* * *

 

A hundred years had passed since the death of the Great Dog General, Touga, once Lord of the Western Lands, King of Dogs, and King of the House of the Moon. A hundred years of blood spilt while the inuyoukai's eldest son, Sesshoumaru, cut down his enemies and those who wanted to take the Western Lands from his hand. However, the once young prince was cold as ice, deadly accurate when he attacked, and never allowed those against him passed the gates to the House of the Moon. He protected what was his by birthright, yet truly he never received what he so desired.

His younger half-brother, Inuyasha, grew distant from others with the death of his mother. An illness had overcome her causing her death to be slow and painful yet—from what she told Inuyasha—, she would have done the same thing if given the choice for she had truly loved her son. However, even she did not expect that when he would finally meet his older half-brother he would be attacked like some wild animal. Though he had made it out alive he grew even further away from the world, until he met a miko inside of a village by the name of Yumi.

Yumi was a kind miko who'd lost her truest love when she bound him away from the world after he betrayed her. She grew older, until one day she was attacked in the hidden shadows of the night. When Inuyasha had found her she'd been dying, and whispered only one name, "Naraku…" before her life slipped away from her and she past into the afterlife in the arms of a hanyou who disappeared quite suddenly the next morning after the village buried their precious miko.

However, these events were nothing compared to the feelings of one certain demoness, locked away by the soul of another miko. It happened seventeen years before the exact amount of a hundred had passed…

oOo

Her heart sped for a moment, her eyes widening as she realized what had just happened. It had taken her three days, but she could finally come to terms with the feeling her instincts had suddenly caused. She didn't think it would happen so soon, but perhaps it was for the best, since only her miko half, as she had now concluded, could set her free. That is, if her miko half, the other half of her soul, ever knew that she was alive. However, her instincts had never been wrong, and she knew for a fact what had happened. Finally, after her long wait the other half of her soul had been conceived. Somewhere, in a ningen form, the other half of her soul was currently growing within a woman's womb.

Maybe, just  _maybe_ , she could get out of this hellish place. However, that would only happen if what she saw came true. She knew that though her visions of souls usually came true, fate could easily change if certain events before it did not happen. Fate, after all, had many paths, but it also had many curves and turns one soul could take—many doors a soul could open. Should that soul make a decision clearly different, or unique from what it was originally destined to do then it either came to her, or its fate changed a little. She just hoped that whatever brought those two lustful bodies together came to pass, for she'd know that her other half would not only live as long as the taiyoukai, but she might be free.

The only problem, her vision would not happen for many years. Years that began to pass once she closed her eyes. Years of nothing to do except right another's wrong, and send them back to their body. Nothing, except wait until either the other half of her soul came to see her when it walked away from its path, or until she felt her restrains completely drain away and she flew off into the sky in her true form. Unless, of course, fate decided to reunite them, but she doubted Midoriko would allow her such a happy ending.

After all, to Midoriko, her home was a gift, instead of torment. Something that would help her one-day understand completely why she'd walked away from her duty of protecting the Shikon. She knew what it was already, though. Her own selfish desires caused her to give the Shikon no Tama to Sai, thus thrusting herself into this hellish place that Midoriko kept her imprisoned in. Keeping her there until she could do  _something_  so pure and righteous that she was set free.

Then again, Midoriko might never set her free.

oOo

Those years after the demoness Kagome felt her instincts flare with excitement did pass. Not quickly, but not slowly, turning a once young newborn babe into a teenage miko in training, who wanted nothing more then to simply train with her older sister, while also playing old time games with her friends, gossiping, and doing many other things that could be done within a small village. Not everyday was peaceful, but the miko by the name of Kagome would soon learn that it could be much, much worse. If only she knew the truth, for it would save her from the hands of fate, and allow her to merely move on away from what destiny had in store for her.

Fate, destiny, and time were fickle things, however, and did not allow a soul to leave its grasp so easily. So, Kagome continued on with her life until she was a nearly completely trained miko who protected her village beside her elder sister, listening to rumors that flooded the lands, while continuing on with her life. By the age of seventeen, though, everything changed in an instant… the time when fate had decided for her to be near the Western Border, and a youkai suddenly appeared demanding the right to feast upon her pure ningen blood…

oOo

The autumn night air changed from cold to warm as the sun began to rise above the eastern horizon. It covered the land with a warm yellow glow, brightening the many shades and hues of the large landscape. The ocean water crashed against the western coast of Nihon as the sun caused the water to glisten and twinkle as if it were an exact copy of the nighttime sky. However, this did not bother any of the creatures rising, stretching, and moving forward with the new day. No, only one creature stood at the top of a cliff looking over the same water which his father had flew across long ago when he saved his younger bastard of a half-brother, Inuyasha. True, it was not the beach where they spoke, but it was the perfect place to trail his father's once traveled path with his eyes.

Those same golden eyes that were hard, calculating, cold, and yet burning hot all at the same time. Their golden depths continued to trail the path his father had taken, his instincts still screaming that he should go out and find his half-breed half-brother once more, but unlike the last time they'd met he would not simply determine if the boy had learned anything after the death of his mother. No, he, Sesshoumaru, would kill him. For now, though, his eyes continued to watch the sky as if doing so would turn back time and place his father beside him, his mother on the other side, both of them praising him for finally transforming while controlling his beast, and not giving into the feeling of becoming nothing but a killing machine. He knew, however, that his wish would not be granted and he would not be given what he desired.

Sesshoumaru knew though that he would not get anything he desired. One of them was the swords' of his deceased father. Sou'unga had been lost, probably thrown back into the depths of Hell where it truly did belong. Tetsusaiga? Even his father's retainer, Myouga the flea, would not tell him. So, Tetsusaiga was gone as well, but he felt that it was still somewhere within the plains of existence, just… where he'd least expect it. He did have a feeling, though, that his bastard of a father had hid it along with his body, since that, too, had not been found –

\- The other thing he wanted was not as important to his mind as the first, but every once in a while it plagued him as to why he could not remember most pieces of his younger life. It was as if his younger life had suddenly been erased of certain places, most of them trying to come to mind before they disappeared. What bothered him most was when he could hear the whispering of a woman in his ears, when he knew that there was no woman near him, or even that close. The whispering was of things that he knew he should remember, yet every time he tried it resulted in a headache that throbbed from the inside of his skull. After many years, he was positive that these events he wished to remember, yet his mind did not, were played out before his father's death. Whatever they were, though, they were of importance, and he merely shook the thought away since he knew they would not come to the front of his mind.

Still, it was strange that he could remember touching moments with his mother yet, at times he could not even remember her death. Once in a while he could not see her face when he wished to be comforted. Usually all that came to his mind was her walking away from him and out of his life. Now, though, he knew was not the time to be thinking of this, for it too gave him a migraine far worse than Hell itself. Hell, he'd never been there, but he  **knew**  that he had never had a migraine until after he became Lord and began running the entire Western Territories. He was beginning to understand why his father decided to leave the House of the Moon on sudden  _outings_  before returning a month or so later before he met that whore Izayoi.

A small unnoticeable sigh fell from his lips before he turned from the ocean, and began walking back toward the place he'd once called home. His mind stayed with the moment for only a few minutes later, before he began thinking about what he should do for the time being. He knew that he would be lord for a very long time, which meant he would need to find a way to relieve himself of his current stress. After all, he'd been running the House of the Moon from the inside, while his father had always sent back word about what they should be doing, while watching over the rest of the land, making sure that those living within the Western Lands followed the laws that he set.

Besides, he'd heard that a band of rouge youkai had been causing chaos along the Western Border. The information had come from a very reliable source from within the Eastern Lands. Of course, this person was always telling him about different things, like a miko who was continuously growing in power even though she was merely seventeen years of age, but he had heard from locals who came to see them that youkai had been attacking the borders. It would not only give him a reason to leave the House of the Moon, but to also clear his head of the many things that plagued it.

Sesshoumaru walked passed the trees that shook with the wind, autumn colored leaves falling around him. He didn't pay much attention to it, just as he didn't pay much attention to the small green imp named Jaken that he'd saved unintentionally a few weeks prior. The smaller youkai came running from behind a group of trees where he'd situated himself in order to allow him his peace, but it really didn't matter to him. Most of the time he merely ignored the youkai, telling himself that Jaken owed him a life dept. True, the youkai would never save his life, but that did not matter to his honor.

Still, he continued toward the House of the Moon, trying to push away the thoughts of burning it down. He would actually find pleasure in bringing it down to dust, but he knew that it was a symbol of his great ancestry and that was the only thing that stopped him from completely torching the House of the Moon. His thoughts were always filled with dark events when it came to his  _home_ , especially when he began moving toward the building. He usually saw his form standing in front of it, a torch within one of his hands, while a bottle of sake was held in the other, while the House of the Moon began crumbing to pieces while the many servants living inside were running for their lives.

As he neared the House of the Moon he decided to go along with his thoughts, and merely moved past the stonewalls surrounding it. He knew that the guards placed upon the walkways were watching him, but he paid them little attention as he moved into the forest. They probably saw him fade into the darkness of the inner forest, but he merely continued to move around the trees that blocked his path.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken called. "Lord Sesshoumaru?"

He allowed a, "Hm" to pass his lips, silently telling the small youkai to continue. The imp was probably wondering where they were going. Of course, with his larger intellect he was correct when his new, small retainer suddenly asked the question he was certain would swim off his tongue.

"Lord Sesshoumaru, where are we going?" Jaken asked. "This Jaken understands if you do not wish to tell this lowly youkai retainer."

Never missing a beat, Sesshoumaru replied, "This Sesshoumaru is going to check up on the rest of his lands, Jaken. After all, this Sesshoumaru needs to make sure that rouge youkai are not causing havoc upon the surrounding villages."

"Hai, hai," Jaken cheered, "those blasted youkai will fall beneath your might, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Silence, Jaken," Sesshoumaru growled. His voice never changed, but it sounded louder then he had actually spoken. Within moments the small imp was mumbling his apologies, before he went silent. It was nice for the moment, and Sesshoumaru continued on his path, knowing that it would not take long before he reached the border of the Western and Eastern Lands. Then he would be able to get rid of the problem his source had told him of, and finally his lands would return to the peace it had before.

oOo

Her fingers grasp hold of the herb she needed in order to help an older woman with an illness back in her village. She was far away from the safety of the barrier she and her sister had placed around their small village located within the Eastern Lands, but that did not bother her. After all, her mere aura should keep away those who wanted to try and rip her to pieces. Then again, she or her sister would blow most of them apart once she came to her side. True, she could protect herself, but her sister was a little overprotective, and was always telling her that she needed her help. Sometimes she thought Kikyo was merely jealous of her growing power.

Autumn leaves fell around her, the reds, browns, yellows, oranges, and many inbetween colors creating a spiral of beauty around her before they landed onto the ground. Still, a smile crossed her lips as she stood only to turn deeper into the forest. The herbs she needed only grew in certain places, and most of them grew closer to the Western Lands. It was really the only reason she'd ever get so close to the 'promise' land, as some called it. They were said to be ruled by a cruel youkai lord with the strength of a hundred ningen men. It was said he was far more beautiful then anyone should ever be, and that should any ningen woman look upon his beauty they would instantly fall in love with him. She did not believe this, since no one could hold so much beauty, especially a youkai male.

She knew she should not think this. She knew that she'd been taught better then that. However, her sister, Kikyo, was completely against the idea of youkai even walking the lands—Kikyo hated youkai with a passion. It was strange that they were born from the same mother, but she knew that she did not hold that same hatred. She'd taken care of many-wounded youkai and only a few had ever tried to attack her afterward. Most held too much honor to even attack an unarmed woman. She would never be able to understand why Kikyo turned her back against youkai and hanyou.

Feeling the cool shadows of the forest surround her, Kagome continued on her path toward the border. She'd heard that some rouge youkai were roaming around the area, but she was also sure that Lady Yui would stop them once she heard word of them. After all, her mother, the head miko, had sent out a messenger to the youkai woman concerning the rouges. Besides, Lady Yui was a gentle youkai who used to visit their village when she was a young girl—she was very kind, and would come once she heard of these youkai destroying her villages. Plus, there was the taiyoukai who ruled the Western Lands. The rouge youkai were destroying villages on his lands as well, so he should come to stop them.

She was in no danger at the moment, anyway, so why should she worry. So, instead of worrying about youkai who roamed through the forest, Kagome continued forward. She'd already sensed her neko friend, a youkai who had befriended her after she'd bandaged her up for the first time. She'd named the neko Suni, because she'd been younger and could not think of a name for her newest friend. Suni was a strange youkai, though. Armor grew right out of her body, the silver metal connected to her skin, while her tori like pattern blended a little into the forest background. The youkai neko was very beautiful, not only because of her pattern and armor, but also because she had the most beautiful emerald eyes, which were surrounded completely by her strange helmet. It was Suni's tail that she loved the most, though, for her armor ran down the upside a little, before it stopped in an arrow design—that wasn't what she loved the most, though, no, it was the end that completely caught her attention. The piece at the end of Suni's tail could split into four sections, becoming a very deadly weapon. Suni was a beautiful being, and she would forever love her. However, it was strange when Suni's aura began to fade deeper into the forest, for the youkai neko usually stayed close to her.

Finding this a little odd, Kagome turned her eyes to the darkness of the forest. Her ningen eyes could only see complete darkness, so she turned to the light opening at the end of her path. It lead to a small clearing where the herb she needed grew on the side, near the edge of the trees. Suni would usually come to meet her there, but it seemed that her friend was currently off on the hunt or something.

Her sandal covered feet touched the Earth lightly, continuing to travel along her path until the seventeen year old miko found herself standing at the edge of the clearing. It was quiet. Very quiet. It wasn't unnatural, but considering the time of day it was a little strange. She couldn't help but smile a little, thinking that Suni was keeping away something dangerous, which had scared away all the normal animals that came there; especially to drink from the small river feed lake in the middle of the clearing.

Moving closer to the border between the Eastern and Western Lands, Kagome allowed her feet to move her around the small lake. Her eyes turned toward the luscious forest before her: the boundary between the two lands. It was strange, since from the border you could clearly see the difference between the two lands. The Eastern Lands terrain was different from the Western Lands, which made it harder for trees and other types of foliage to grew. The Western Lands were full of life, and color. So much different from the home she knew. However, she wouldn't give up her life just yet, no, she was far to attached to it at the moment, and she didn't think anything could ever change her mind.

Leaning down next to the patch of herbs, Kagome allowed her fingers to grasp the stems, easily snapping them from their ends, before placing them into the small basket she carried. She'd almost completely forgotten about it, until she'd moved it up her arm a little, feeling the weight hang off her bent arm. Still, as she continued, she placed each herb she snapped from its stem into her basket. Of course, it was almost completely filled, but she really didn't mind, since she would dry most of the herbs out later, and being over stocked helped when you were suddenly hit with a lot of sick patients with the same illness, or symptoms.

She felt two auras coming toward her, before suddenly a third joined them. Only one she recognized as her sisters. One was coming from the Western Lands; powerful and controlled… the other was right behind her. Before she knew it her instincts had went into action, causing her to drop her basket, her body pushing itself forward as she heard the sound of claws slicing through the air. Her body hit the ground with a thud, before she turned back to the youkai standing behind her.

Its dull, lifeless, black eyes stared at her, its highlighted blue and black hair shot straight up from its head, while its mouth was opened to show off a set of sharp fangs. She couldn't determine what type of youkai it was, but suddenly its eyes began to swirl, and she felt like her very soul was begin sucked from her body as she stared at him. Her breath slowed, her mouth opening to allow her soul to easily flow from her body, when she felt her body grow weak beneath her. She didn't know what was happening, but suddenly the connection was broken, and she heard a vicious growl off to the side.

She hadn't noticed her neko friend until Suni lunched herself at the other youkai once more—the youkai that was suddenly farther away then he had seemed. Her fangs sunk into the youkai's neck, as Kagome watched her metal like claws sink into the youkai's back. However, the other youkai began trashing about, throwing her feline friend away from its body. Kagome, in fear for the neko, watched as Suni flipped in the air, sliding into the ground as she landed on her four paws. Kagome knew that Suni would do anything to protect her, but she felt a bit of regret that she hadn't noticed this strange youkai earlier.

Suni shot forward, her back legs launching her off the ground, her front claws aiming for the youkai's face. The other youkai raised its arm to block the attack, however, and as Suni's claws sank into the appendage the other youkai reached around with its other hand, suddenly grabbing Suni by the throat and quickly flipped her through the air. Within moments Suni was slammed into the ground, her back nearly breaking from the force. She held on, however, her strange tail shooting straight into the youkai's arm, the tip suddenly breaking into four parts, cutting off the youkai's arm completely.

The youkai snarled in pain, squeezing Suni's throat tighter, before something very strange happened. The torn appendage, the arm that had been sliced completely off of the mysterious youkai began growing back. Within moments the blood had stopped flowing and another arm had grown in its place. Kagome gasp, suddenly on her feet, her basket long forgotten as she began running toward her friend. Before she reached them, though, the youkai had stabbed its claws through Suni's armor like skin; they sank into Suni's shoulder, the feline giving off a hiss of pain.

Fear for Suni rushed through her, causing her limps to burn. She felt like she could suddenly transform like a youkai did. Kind of like when she saw Suni become twice her size once. However, even as her legs carried her faster, the distance was to far for her to reach them before Suni was thrown to the side, the neko giving a faint growl, before going unconscious. By then Kagome had slammed herself against the youkai's side, watching as he stumbled a bit, before looking at her, his hand reaching out to grab her by the neck. It didn't take much for the youkai to lift her into the air, her legs kicking around, when she felt the powerful aura fill the area.

The youkai's strange ability swam over her once more. Her soul felt like it was being tugged at, but another half of her held her together. Something deep within her soul seemed to flare, and she felt the youkai tighten its grip on her, its claws suddenly sinking into her side. It was then that she allowed her instincts to take over, since they were usually what saved her in the end. She'd never understood why, but it was always the thing that managed to get her out of a bind—it was as if she was missing a piece of herself, and her body took action when she needed to stay alive.

Her instincts once more took over, and she felt her miko energy fly. Her mind seemed to blank out, her vision suddenly fading, before she was felt her body being dropped to the ground. After that her vision returned to her, and she watched the dust of the youkai lift into the air, her eyes caught sight of a small purple jewel sitting in front of her. Her hand reached out to grab it, its warmth caressing her hand, before it suddenly turned a bright pink underneath her hand. Paying little attention to the boots that had suddenly appeared in her sight, she lifted her hand from the round jewel, watching as it shimmered, the pink coloring changing back into the purple. On impulse she grabbed it, tightening her hand around it when she finally took notice of the powerful aura coming from the youkai in front of her.

Her eyes slowly glanced up, and the mere beauty of the male before her struck her hard—almost like being hit by a wagon. Her breath lodged itself in her throat, as her hearing seemed to stop instantly, erasing all sounds coming from the little youkai that suddenly burst into the clearing. Her eyes continued to gaze up at the silver haired youkai; his high cheekbones that held perfectly formed magenta strips, and his thin golden eyes that seemed to brighten suddenly as if a memory had suddenly come over him. Her attention was brought to the blue crescent moon on his forehead, which was slightly covered by his bangs, along with a bit of his eyes.

Without her knowing it a smile formed on her lips. She felt like she was gazing up at an angel, but there was suddenly an ache on her head, as her neck tilted downward, her hands shooting up to touch the sore spot. She heard the youkai above her growl, the small imp beginning to run around screaming his apologies. She was more concerned about the lump forming on top of her head, before her mind suddenly turned toward the neko lying motionlessly beneath a tree. "Suni," she whispered, climbing to her feet, ignoring the youkai, and rushing to the neko's side. With ease she lifted Suni's head into her lap, happy to find that the neko was still breathing.

"Miko," came a deep voice. She turned her head toward the youkai standing in front of where she'd once sat, as he said, "Tell me your name, miko." His voice demanded she answer, and if she hadn't been raised the way she was she would have felt very, very,  _very_  small compared to him. However, she did not, and turned her face to begin petting Suni's fur.

oOo

He was nearing the border between the Western and Eastern Lands when he sensed the presence of the band of rouge youkai. When he arrived, however, Lady Yui was already walking away from the bloodshed, obviously having heard about the rouges and deciding that they needed to be taken care of. True, he relished in the fact that their blood was spilled all over the forest, but he was slightly disappointed that he had not been able to partake in it. That was until he felt the energy of a very strange youkai. It was something he'd never felt before, and turned toward it.

As he walked toward it he noticed that Lady Yui had obviously decided that he could deal with the last of the rouges. However, even as he moved away from the place, he felt that he should have stayed, allowing Lady Yui to go after the last youkai. His instincts had always been right for the last one hundred years, so he was pretty sure that whatever he was walking toward would be either his defeat, or something that would change his life forever. Either way, he was sure that it wouldn't be good for him.

It wasn't long before he heard the sounds of battle, a feline hissing with rage. True, as an inu it was his nature to have a slight hatred toward neko's, but the hidden youkai meaning behind it told him that the neko was protecting someone that had once saved its life. He heard the strange snarl of another youkai, as he neared the playing field. What he saw, though, was a neko being thrown toward the side, a ningen girl slamming into the youkai's side. It was useless since she was so much smaller than the youkai, and he watched as the youkai reached out to grab the ningen by the throat.

What happened next was strange, something in the back of his mind clicking into place. When the youkai lifted the woman, he saw a bright purple glow at her side, before the youkai's attention was drawn to it, its claws sinking into the woman's flesh with little effort. However, the ningen woman, what he'd confirmed as a miko woman, gripped the youkai's thick arm in her small hand. As he walked around the clearing to get a better view, he saw one of the woman's eyes change to a bright pink, while the other turned to a blood red, which seemed to swirl with dark blue.

" _…My other half shall forever be ningen… when you meet her, youngling, her name shall be the same as mine. Best you remember that…_ " His thoughts clung to the memory, the face of a demoness coming forth into his mind. Her smirk, her dark blue eyes that turned a dangerous red when he angered her, the black and silver colored 'X' upon her forehead, while her two cheek markings were different colors as well, one silver, the other black. His mind continued to cling to those four little words, however, " _…Best you remember that…_ "

He hadn't remembered that. He hadn't remembered anything. Gazing at the miko as her power shot out of her body and into the youkai's, however, he felt her name on his lips. It continued to plague his mind over and over again as he saw his mother's bloodied form before his eyes. The name wrapped around his thoughts, and he instantly knew what he was going to ask this miko woman, especially since she'd just blasted, what he'd determined as a void youkai, to dust. The name, however, once more raced through his mind, along with the words of the tori-youkai.

"…This  _Kagome meant no harm, for_  she  _calls all wandering souls that…_ " Thinking about those words now he knew the woman had mocked him. True, he did talk about himself by saying his own name with a 'this' in front of it once in a while, but that was no reason to mock him. If he ever met that blasted demoness again, he was going to teach her some manners for when it came to future taiyoukai that went to her.

He moved to the woman's side, before stepping up in front of her sight. He knew that she should be able to see him, but it did not bother him since she was currently examining a small jewel, one that he had not noticed before, that had landed on the ground. Even he wondered where it had come from until he saw the purplish color turn to a bright pink when her hand came close to it, only to reside back into the purple color when she moved away. It only brought forth the memory of the jewel hanging from the tori-youkai's neck. The one that hung off her golden chain: the jewel the demoness Kagome had called the Shikon no Tama.

The miko snatched the jewel from the ground, gripping it tightly within her hand, before finally taking notice of him. Of course he did not let this bother him, since he was Sesshoumaru, but he watched as the young woman began looking up at him. It gave him enough free time to scan her red and white miko clothing, her soft looking skin, her round face, which held her large blue eyes, her perfectly shaped nose, a pair of rose colored lips, and her midnight black hair. She looked much like the demoness Kagome, except she did not hold the markings of a youkai, or the scent, or anything that would have told him she was a youkai. No, but she held everything else, right down the breasts he had once admired on the demoness Kagome, proudly thrust forward while she hung naked from her tree. She was the perfect twin to the demoness Kagome, with only a few little things different.

She was watching him with awe, and he was quite dumbstruck with a smile suddenly formed itself on her lips. She, from what he knew and learned, was so different than the demoness he knew, however. She probably would have the same fiery attitude if he cause her temper to boil, but she seemed so much softer, so sweet and innocent. The demoness Kagome had been a corrupted woman who wanted nothing more then to be free of the imprisonment she'd earned herself when she decided to allow a man by the name of Sai make a selfish wish on the Shikon no Tama she once held.

Now it seemed that even the Shikon had been split. He remembered the demoness telling him about how her soul had been split apart: one half living forever bound, while the other lived the life of a miko. He did not remember her telling him that the Shikon no Tama had split as well. Perhaps, though, this Midoriko's soul was so large that she'd split her own in order to occupy the space she'd stole from both halves of Kagome's soul. Perhaps… but then again he remembered thinking a lot about perhaps and maybe when he was younger.

Sesshoumaru growled in anger when he saw Jaken hit the girl over the head with the Staff of Two Heads. He'd given him that weapon, and he was beginning to think that perhaps he should have thought otherwise before he even allowed the small imp to follow him. After all, he'd met the demoness Kagome before he blocked his memories away, when he'd locked away his heart. However, with the mere sight of this woman staring up at him, or when she  **was** , he felt as if something inside his chest had fallen loose, and she'd suddenly crawled inside with her smile.

Quite suddenly the miko's attention turned to the fallen neko behind him, the name, "Suni" falling from her lips. Without much effort the miko had gotten up and moved to where the neko lie. He watched as she lifted the neko's head onto her lap, smiling when she found the feline's heartbeat. This feeling in his chest was strange and unnatural to him, however, and he wanted to know if her name was truly what he thought it was. After all, he'd never seen a miko who used their power, only half of them showing holy energy, while the other half seemed to stay silent.

"Miko," he called. He remembered the tori-youkai's predatory stare when she turned her head toward him. However, he shook it away since her eyes were soft and kind, telling himself that though they  _might_  be from the same soul they were not the same. In fact, it seemed that when they were split apart, the miko Midoriko had locked away the dark half, and allowed the light half to have peace like she should have. Once more he opened his mouth, making sure to keep his face neutral as he said, "Tell me your name, miko."

The miko seemed to think about it for a moment, before her head turned away and her hand began petting the neko's fur. She seemed to be thinking on it, but it didn't matter to him. No, it didn't, but he would wait for his answer, since her feline friend was probably more important to her.

"Answer Lord Sesshoumaru, you filthy ningen!" Jaken cried.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the small imp, growling, "Silence." Instantly Jaken shut his mouth, and Sesshoumaru turned back to the miko, knowing somewhere deep inside of him that she was more concerned about the neko at her side. Something within him told him to be patient with the miko, she only wanted to make sure her friend was fine.

Sighing, Kagome glanced up, before saying, "My name is Kagome." After saying it she felt like everything seemed to crowd in around her, but she hugged Suni's head to her torso, noticing that her wound had stopped bleeding, and the feline was beginning to purr deep in her chest. It made her happy, even though she felt like this youkai male was far to important to be speaking with her.

_Kagome… Kagome…_

Kagome… This… My name is… Kagome…

Name shall be the same as mine… Best you remember that…

Youngling… Young Prince…

Holder of the Shikon no Tama… Lord Sai… Cursed to remain here…

Supreme conquest…

Tell me, Sesshoumaru, have you someone to protect?

Protect…? Protect… protect…

The memories of his past continued to roam through his mind suddenly with her words. His eyes glazed over more than they already were as he gazed at her. For some reason he felt that when his past was reborn so was his heart. It warmed for some strange reason with the sight of the ningen woman before him, and he soon found himself helping her lift the neko onto his back. Jaken protested, of course, to helping the miko, but he silenced him with a glare. Something told him that the miko should be apart of his life that he should allow her to be there. Or maybe it was just because she was the other half of the demoness Kagome, he really did not know…

"Kagome!" came from the distance as they began walking into the forest. Kagome had picked up her basket, making sure that most of it was still there. However, when she heard her sister's call, she stiffened a little, knowing that there would be trouble soon. Very soon.

* * *

 


	5. The Being Naraku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kikyo, Kagome's elder sister, is not only jealous that she's beginning to fall for the taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru, and he her, but also because of her power. Wanting to get rid of her she gets a deal that will lead to her fate, and everyone elses.

The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to come together. The figures on the game board were being set into motion. Fate had begun to turn, placing the players within its game onto their paths. Each played an important role; each would step up in the end to complete what needed to be done; each were being played by a miko, once of great power and great responsibility, as she decided where they would go, what they would do, and how they would moved upon the game board. True, those higher in status, the gods, did not agree with her decision, but it needed to be done in order to bring together the two pieces of one powerful soul, while she severed her own from them. It needed to be done in order to destroy a powerful jewel that should have never fallen from the realm of Heaven. However, before she died another had decided to play fates game, and when she died the Shikon no Tama was allowed to fall to the Earth through her body. Now, she was trying to right that person's wrong, even if she had bound a demoness who had wanted nothing more than love, something that many wanted and needed in order to live.

Many souls watched her as she moved the small golden piece that symbolized a woman named Kikyo. The piece, however, had been turning black with taint for many years after her younger sister, the other half of the soul she'd split apart, decided to be born. True, she'd moved together the silver dog that symbolized the mighty Touga's son, Sesshoumaru, and the solid pink bow that symbolized the miko Kagome, but that would not be enough to save the woman named Kikyo. No, for already the taint was becoming to strong, and soon she would walk down the path of evil, seeking out the new piece upon her board, one that was a pure black baboon mask. She had many other pieces, and once in a while she would merely sit back and allow the pieces to move themselves, but right now was a very important time and if they wanted the Shikon no Tama to be returned to Takamagahara then they would need to allow her to play the game as she wished to play it.

Allowing a soft smile to appear on her lips, Midoriko glanced up at the golden glow of the gods as they circled around her Game of Fate. Not many who weren't born from the original three gods born in Takamagahara were allowed to play with the board, but they had decided that she could because she'd not only split her souls three ways in order to have her plan work, but because she had been a large reason as to why the Shikon no Tama ended up on Earth in the first place. The original three gods of Nihon, Taka-mi-musubi, Ame-no-Minaka-nushi, and Kami-mi-musubi, were ashamed that they had allowed the event to even take place, but even the gods make mistakes. She knew that they were hoping that by allowing her, a split miko soul who'd played with fate before, to play the game that the Shikon would be returned to their mighty hands. After all, the game was unpredictable, and if not watched carefully could turn to chaos, or merely cause a normal soul to go insane before they stood, throwing the game away from them, causing the pieces to scatter everywhere. That would not happen to her, though, for a piece of her was inside the demoness Kagome, a piece inside the miko Kagome, and the rest where she was now.

Her plan was full proof! She would not lose this game, no matter how many times they whispered into her ear that she would. True, they were in the highest plain of Heaven, but even the souls there could be cruel when it came to those purer than they could ever be. After all, it was like the demoness Kagome continued to think, no one was perfect. No one went through life without making mistakes. No one should be imprisoned they way she was. She agreed with her there, but she could not release her back into the world until this new evil by the name of Naraku made his move. Not until the final battle came into play and they needed both halves of Kagome's soul together as one. After all, she was like the hidden weapon that no one would ever see. That was why she never allowed the half of Sai she didn't lock away to go into the place the demoness Kagome resided. No, for that would have ruined everything that she'd worked so hard to gain.

True, many creatures upon the Earth thought that fate was nothing more than what happened to them, but it was quite fun to see their faces when they learned that they were merely small pieces upon the boards that the gods used. True, some were merely left alone unless someone wished to play with someone's fate when they began trying to do something they weren't destined to do, but other than that the boards were allowed to continue with their unpredictable ways. Hers, however, would not be that way. No, she would continue to move her pieces as they should be moved, before finally flipping not only the new evil off the board, but also the symbol that continued to float above it. The Shikon no Tama—The Jewel of Four Souls, an item that needed to be taken away from the Earth, but without one of the gods stepping foot on the land and completely changing everything that might, or should happen. Gods, after all, could have major impacts upon the land.

Giving a small shake of her head, however, Midoriko leaned her chin into her hand attached to her arm settled on her leg. She watched the board closely, knowing that the gods would drag her away at any slip up she made. True, the pieces would continue to move of their own accord, but in order to make the future the way they needed it she needed to be on full alert, and make sure that everything went according to plan. Every piece needed to fall into place, or she had to come up with a sudden plan for when another piece decided to take a wrong turn; kind of like the miko Kikyo's piece currently was. When it came to those situations she needed to think quickly in order to find a solution to her problem. She wouldn't have any problems as long as her main three pieces continued on their path. One would not move, for the black phoenix could not move, and the silver dog, and pink bow would not separate unless they needed to be apart.

Yes, everything was going according to plan.

oOo

"Kagome," was shouted once more, louder this time as the two figures walked the same path the miko Kagome had walked to get to the clearing she had obtained the herbs she carried now. She was still slightly shaken from the attack of the youkai, whatever kind it had been, but her eyes glanced shyly toward the taiyoukai at her side. Why he had offered to help her with Suni was beyond her mortal mind, but she was grateful to him at the moment. Besides, her heart trembled at his mere beauty, and she, without much thought, slipped a rock from beneath her sandal, causing it to skip into the air, before it hit a certain imp following them.

Jaken, feeling the small rock hit him in the forehead, began screaming in his low voice, running in a circle. "Ah… AH… AH… Lord Sesshoumaru, help this lowly servant! The ningen miko attacked this Jaken with her numerous weapons! Lord Sesshoumaru! Lord SESSHOUMARU!" He continued to run around, never noticing that said demon lord had turned his golden eyes to glare at him, his claws ready to rip him to pieces.

Folding her arms into her haori sleeves, her basket hanging on her arm, she blinked in confusion at the small youkai. A small giggle formed in her throat when Sesshoumaru growled in warning toward the gami, instantly stopping his yelling, but not his current circling path, the staff he carried swinging around in a wild frenzy. She managed to hold off the giggle until Sesshoumaru's boot clad foot knocked the gami to the ground, stopping his small rampage that would have craved a possibly small circular hole in the ground if he continued. Still, the giggled escaped her throat, and she wondered for a moment why she, as a miko, felt humor at the pain of the small youkai. Maybe it was because the pain had come from the taiyoukai at her side, or maybe it was because it was merely funny. She didn't know, but she continued to listen to her sister's calling of her name from deeper within the forest –

\- It was obvious Kikyo  _cared_  so  _much_. Hell, if it had been her, she'd be running, searching for Kikyo like a madwoman, her feet carrying her deeper and deeper into the dangerous forest until she found her. No, Kikyo was the calm one, thinking that she would be alive when she arrived, walking calmly, merely shouting her name around. Really, sometimes Kagome couldn't help but wondered if her sister wished to find her dead one day, or if she wanted to call numerous amounts of youkai to the area and sick them upon her. Shaking her head, Kagome sighed, thinking,  _man, and I can actually see that happening_. It was true, she could easily see Kikyo talking with some wild youkai, each starving but keeping their distance because of her sizzling power, before suddenly shooting off in the direction she was when Kikyo pointed, while her sister merely turned away, walking back to the village to tell them of her unfortunate death.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the small miko as they continued forward, his back slightly hunched over to keep the large neko in place on his back. However, he tilted his head to the side in wonder, before saying, "Are you not going to call out to her, Kagome?" He did not know what made him say her name, since only people he respected should have that honor, but perhaps it was the memory of the demoness Kagome biting his head off. He could still hear it, her words creating a continuous hurricane of thoughts within his mind. After all, after hearing, " _…My name is Kagome;_  Ka-go-me.  _Too many times have I been called a wench, along with many others names you men decide I am! You should know these, Sesshoumaru: whore, slut, cock sucking hag… oh, or perhaps you'd be more accustomed to this term, dog, youkai_  bitch…" well, he had a new found respect for the female race, especially after she pulled her strange magic together, and held him in place. He believed now that she would have trouble doing so, but then again, it was her domain, her home, as she'd called it.

He listened, as the miko merely said, "No, she will get here when she gets here; she's probably waiting for me to come running to her anyway, since your aura nearly fills the entire forest. She will not get that satisfaction." Perhaps they were having some type of sibling rivalry, or they might simply hate each other like he hated his bastard half-brother, Inuyasha. Then again, the slight longing in her voice told him that she longed for the person calling her to rush through the trees, worry not only in her voice, but her aura, as she pushed her behind her to protect her. However, her words told him that would not be the case.

"Besides, Kikyo doesn't like me," Kagome sighed, her head bowing down. She'd known it to be true, always, but it was just something she had not wanted to believe. All the times Kikyo merely called out her name, never once rushing to make sure she was all right, however, told her one thing, and one thing only. Her elder sister hated her.

"Why?" Sesshoumaru questioned. He saw her shake her head in her own confusion, and decided to leave it at that. The neko on his back was beginning to awaken, its neck stretching a little further over his shoulder, its breath coming out a little rougher then it had in its sleep. The female did not make any moves to escape him, or claw him, and for that he was grateful, since the neko would probably reopen her wounds if she did. Kagome wouldn't like that, and something inside him wanted to make her happy, to ravish her with gifts that she deserved.

Kikyo stepped through the tree line, her eyes narrowing further when she caught sight of not just that stupid neko-youkai Kagome continued to allow around the village, but three. The smallest she determined as a weak thing, but the one standing at Kagome's side was in humanoid form. Only powerful youkai had the ability to morph from their animal like appearance to a human one. Gritting her teeth, she said the first thing that came to mind, "Kagome, come to my side." Her arm shifted out to the side, as she said, "I will not allow my only sister to be enslaved by such tainted blood."

Kagome giggled again, before saying, "Enslaved, Kikyo? Lord Sesshoumaru is not enslaving me; he is helping me take Suni back to the village. She was hurt when another youkai attacked."

Kikyo growled, saying, "Tell me, Kagome, was it he who attacked you in the first place. Did an animal like youkai come upon you, only for moments later this creature to have  _saved_  you, stealing your heart from underneath your nose?"

Kagome shook her head, before saying, "No, Kikyo. It was an ugly beast. Besides, I'm sure that that youkai was not an inuyoukai like Lord Sesshoumaru."

"You continue to call him lord, Kagome," Kikyo hissed, her lips setting into a snarl. "No creature of tainted blood deserves that title."

"Foolish ningen, Lord Sesshoumaru shall slice your head from your shoulders for your insults," Jaken cried. "No ningen bitch will disgrace the Lord of the Western Lands!"

Kikyo silenced the gami with a single glare, her hatred burning deep within her eyes. How could her sister be so blind? These creatures would do nothing but harm her! These youkai would enslave her, and use her as nothing but a concubine, before they decided that she was nothing but used goods and threw her out into the cold world where people would judge her. Her eyes were sharp, as she said, "Very well, Kagome. But promise me you will not allow this to continue more then this night."

Kagome frowned, glancing at the taiyoukai as his eyes narrowed, before sighing. Giving a nod, she crossed her fingers inside her sleeves, before saying, "Yes, of course, Kikyo. We would not want for an ill omen to wash over the village."

"I will keep you to your word, Kagome," Kikyo said, her tone turning back to calm. "Come, the villagers need the herbs you currently possess."

That was far to easy, Sesshoumaru knew, and he gave a blank look to the elder miko before him. It was obvious she hated youkai; probably having saw one kill someone she held dear to her. However, it was not going to keep him from his newest prize. His beast had decided, their bitch had been chosen, and what the beast wanted it got, especially when it came to something of this caliber. Yes, though his beast usually did what it wanted, and pleased itself, he was going to enjoy  _tainting_  Kagome, as Kikyo put it. The miko would enjoy her time with him, enjoy the gifts he gave her, and she would, in the end, squeal adoringly, and jump into his arms when he asked her to be his mate. He would taint her so badly she would love him.

His mindset, his plan in action, Sesshoumaru continued forward, sensing the miko's lie to her sister. It was obvious that something in their souls clicked when they had met, and Sesshoumaru, along with a stubborn Kagome, were not willing to give it up. Without the knowledge of what their meetings would cause, however, they were willing to sneak off into the night to be together.

oOo

Kagome held the silken fabric closer to her chest as she gazed up into the golden eyes of Sesshoumaru. They stood in the moonlight, its heavenly glow brightening the world around them. The only thing they were focused on, however, were each other, which was why they did not notice the shadowed figure hiding among the trees. Each and every night she'd hide far enough away that she was out of the inuyoukai's smelling range, while hiding her aura, her mere presence from them. It had not been hard to see that her younger sister had lied, especially when she began finding her very expensive gifts around their hut, each one of them unseen the day before. When she'd confronted the younger miko, Kagome had merely said that she'd saved a passing traveler, and though she protested, they gave her an item in exchange for her services. She'd believed this the first time, but after that she'd followed her sister as she crept out during the night. Now, usually she did not stay this long, but something about this made her eyes harden a little more, her jealousy rising within her soul.

Disgust ran through her body when Sesshoumaru suddenly moved forward, his lips taking her sister's in a heated caress of the lips. Kikyo, shaking her head, turned her body away and began moving through the forest. She'd ignored the call the first time, but she was going to see that blasted hanyou, possibly getting rid of that bastard Sesshoumaru. It was not fair that Kagome found love so easily, while she was destined to merely watch over their village when their mother died. As mikos' they weren't supposed to fall in love with youkai, yet she was sure her sister's soul was already tainted with the beast's essence. Right now, they were probably locked in a sexual embrace, the damn male she'd come to hate more than her sister, who continued to grow in power, was probably burying himself inside her sister's body. Of course, that was not something for the ears of children, yet they were very close to the village. It was disgusting enough that her sister decided to even lay with such a creature, and yet she continued to degrade herself by keeping such activates close enough for anyone to find them.

She moved silently through the forest, searching for the baboon masked hanyou she'd let escape a few months ago. It had been around a month since the time she'd met Lord Sesshoumaru, but the hanyou in question had touched her soul with his words, making her realize just how much she wanted to rip Kagome's head away from her shoulders. Ever since her encounter with the strange hanyou, she'd looked at Kagome as if she were lower than the evilest youkai scum walking the land. Her soul had turned from its calm blue, to a raging red, lusting for something that she did not wish to truly do, since she knew it would taint her completely, until she lost herself to the bittersweet feeling of insanity. Yes, then she'd end up on the end of a sword's tip, her soul being released from her body into the great Heavens above. If she made it there, her soul might as well be condemned to Hell for the thoughts currently pulsing through her mind.

Still, Kikyo walked along the path the strongest man of their village had created by cutting down the trees blocking it, her stance calm, her mind racing, and yet her fists were clenching again and again when the image of the gifts Kagome had received moved into her mind. It was obvious that filthy youkai wanted her sister, not just for a quick rut in the woods, but as his eternal mate; it would completely taint Kagome, and for that Kikyo believed she should be thrown into the pits of Hell. She did not realize the path she was walking was completely tainting her own soul, no, for her mind could only grip the love that her sister was receiving, while she, Kikyo, was merely thrown into the background, never noticed except for her miko talents; it would not be fair if Kagome got the life of an ordinary woman, while she, Kikyo, had to continue with her life as a miko. Worse, Kagome would not just have an ordinary life, but she would be ravished with gifts as if she were a true hime. She deserved that life, since she was eldest, but no, her sister was always recognized before her.

Even when she was first born Kagome got every bit of attention that she tried to have at one time. Their mother had instantly seen the  _treasure_  that Kagome was, and so she spent most of her time with her to help her along the path that had placed her sister where she currently was. Kagome had been with their mother when a youkai had attacked their father, while she, Kikyo, was watching from the background, hidden after she'd told her father about the youkai's presence. Never again would she trust a youkai, but it was only worse when summers later Kagome's power continued to grow, while hers merely stayed at the same level that her mother had determined her to be at. Again she was cast into Kagome's shadow. And then again when Kagome's kind nature proved that though their father died at the hands of a youkai, Kagome would care for anyone, and anything. She helped that blasted neko-youkai, which gave her the friendship of another that Kikyo had never experienced, because she was too caught up in her miko studying, trying to become better then Kagome ever could be. Now, Kagome was receiving the love that she deserved, even if it came from youkai filth, turning her back to their training, and trying to make a life of her own.

In her eyes, Kagome was always turning her back to everything that ever crossed her path. Even though it was said that when one door to fate was opened, another was closed, it seemed to her that Kagome always picked the correct door that led her to happiness. It was as if some god had given Kagome the ability to choose a path that would give her everything she didn't deserve. It was as if some god loved Kagome so much that they wanted to give her everything wonderful, and fulfilling in life, while she was merely pushed back into the shadows, her life meaningless to those around her.

The hanyou, though, the one by the name of Naraku, he owed her, and he was going to help her. Even if she had to wrap her hands around his grimy neck, and threaten to purify him, she would get him to help her get rid of Kagome once and for all. Then she would be the better sister, she would be the one on top, and no one would try and stop her, especially when she had the hanyou as her ally. What she did not realize, however, was the deeper she walked into the forest the further she walked onto the path an ancient miko wanted her to tread upon.  **Wanted**  her to embrace with her very soul, until all the pieces fell into place.

Sighing, Kikyo felt the hanyou's presence surround her as she stepped into the very clearing Kagome had met the taiyoukai at. Her sister might not have known it, but it was the very place the hanyou had spoken to her, telling her the words she needed to hear before she told him to leave, and if she should ever need him she might call upon him. It appeared that the hanyou had known she would come, and as she looked up at the white baboon pelt that covered his body, she glared a little, before calling out his name, "Naraku."

"Kikyo," he replied, his tone dark and wise, "what a pleasant surprise."

"Do not speak as if we are friends, Naraku," Kikyo hissed. Her mind turned to other things as she began telling him of her desire. The small jewel her sister had shown to their mother a few hours after the taiyoukai had disappeared back into the forest. Their mother had seemed very surprised at seeing it, before she told Kagome never to let another know about it, never to let it out of her sight, and to protect it with her very life. Their mother had acted as if the small, ordinary jewel could cause mass destruction over the land. Nothing was that powerful, unless they had a strong demonic aura surrounding them.

Naraku seemed not to care, but then again, Kikyo couldn't really tell since he was covered in all that fur. His mask made it impossible to know what his face could have told her, but still she waited for his reaction. She did not have to wait long. "You still feel as if you're nothing more then a shadow to her?" merely got a nod from her, which received another from the hanyou.

"Perhaps it is time we become  _friends_ , Kikyo," he laughed. "Together we could get rid of Kagome. Together we could destroy the taiyoukai who has fallen for her charm, and together, Kikyo, we could put you on top as the first miko to ever rule over one of the territories the youkai rule. After all, the Western Lands are said to be the finest, so why shouldn't it be a powerful ningen who ruled them, instead of youkai taint filling the very soil?"

"Naraku, you are part youkai," Kikyo said, "yet you speak as if it is disgusting even to you."

Naraku's voice turned dark, and cold, "It is, Kikyo, but it is. Being hanyou, both ningen and youkai hunt for my blood. Both sides feel that as half I am nothing more than an abomination from the belly of a tainted soul, because they decided to mate with a breed not their own. It is not a hanyou's fault that their mother or father decided to lay with someone not of their kind, yet others feel it is. That is why they hunt me."

Kikyo nodded, feeling slightly disgusted herself for even talking with this being. However, it could not be helped, and she once again nodded, glancing up at his form, covered in mostly darkness from the forest. "I do, however, agree with you upon the design of the Western Lands. Such finery should not be controlled by something so evil. The youkai line that controls it should have been overthrown many years ago, but they taint the minds of others, making it seem as if they will be protected, yet many times we have ningen from their villages come to us, telling us that they have been attacked, and have yet to receive word from their Lord. If I ruled the Western Lands, the problem would have already been taken care of, instead of making them wait until I felt the need to protect them.

"Sesshoumaru does not deserve his birthright," Kikyo hissed. "He is cold-hearted and cruel. Such a being does not deserve to have even an ounce of control in a place that is rich, and peaceful. I am surprised they have not fallen into chaos by now."

Naraku smirked. He truly did not care about the fate of either Kikyo's sister, or her current lover, Lord of the Western Lands. No, something told him that he needed to find a creature told only in stories, a creature that had tricked him. He'd felt the power of something new wash over himself a month before, and when he went to find it, he'd found it, but not where he'd expected it to be; it was within the hands of Kagome, Kikyo's sister. However, a piece of him had disagreed with his logic, a piece of him that he knew was older then himself, telling him that it was merely a copy, not the jewel of true power, a jewel known as the Shikon no Tama. The name, actually, had brought these thoughts to mind, the name Kagome. He was sure that if he destroyed the girl, he would be lead to the demoness of legend, a woman also by the name of Kagome. When he found her, he would kill her, for some part of him hated the woman, even when he had never met her. Now, he was bargaining with Kikyo, knowing somehow that the demoness's domain, her home of darkness, was located close to the border between the Western and Northern Lands.

How he knew most of this he did not know, but he did know that it was what he needed, no, what he  **wanted**  to accomplish. After all, if he could find this demoness once mated to a now dead taiyoukai, then he would also find the Shikon no Tama. When the jewel was within his hand he could control all the lands, not just one –

\- Even better, he might be able to control the world!

Still, what Kikyo did not know would not hurt her. Well, it might in the end, but for now it might be good to merely allow her to go on with her plan. After all, her sister, from what he heard and saw, was growing in power each and everyday. It was almost as if her soul was getting ready for something, as if her very being was trying to become more then it was designed to be. Kagome could be a major thorn in his side, fighting against him, possibly stopping his plan from happening. It would be best that she was removed from the picture, even though a piece of him merely wanted to bathe in her blood because of her mere name. Another piece of him couldn't help but wonder if that made him insane, since he knew that no one except Yumi had ever done anything to him.

Yumi, even his once ningen soul still sang out when the name was mention, but it did not matter to him anymore, since Yumi was dead. He'd killed her with his own hand, along with her youkai lover. All right, Yumi had done that, but it had been him to have truly betrayed the bitch. He'd tricked her quite easily into thinking her love had turned against her, until she sealed him within a shrine, hidden away from the world for the rest of his life. Never would he be reawakened, his soul restless inside its prison. Once he'd rid himself of her, however, everything had gone nearly to plan until he'd been hit with an arrow by this stupid miko. After a few words with her, however, Kikyo had let him go, and now he stood before the same miko, allowing her to speak even though he did not listen.

"Yes," Naraku replied, "Sesshoumaru does not deserve what he holds. Together, Kikyo, we could get rid of him, and your sister easily. Together we could rule the Western Lands, before one day taking over the other lands, allowing the taint to be removed from the land, each youkai lord or lady falling to their knees to beg your forgiveness." He knew his words rang within her ears, yet he continued afterward, knowing that the more he talked, the deeper Kikyo sank into his plan. "Destroy the taint, Kikyo," he urged, "get rid of the taint to the lands, and allow the ones who truly should rule their chance. Do not wait until the final moment, Kikyo, for then it will be to late, and they will know of your plan. They will know…"

Kikyo glanced toward the ground, a final sigh falling from her lips. Lifting her gaze, she sealed her fate by speaking; "I will help you take down Sesshoumaru, as soon as you get rid of Kagome, Naraku. She will get in the way, I know it."

Another smirk formed on his lips, as he said, "Help me, Kikyo. Help this lowly hanyou destroy her. For you know a miko cannot hurt another miko, but she could easily purify me. Together we could corner them;  **together**  we could rid the land of their presence. Then you won't be in the one in shadows any longer, Kikyo. No, for then you shall be the one in the front, surpassing Kagome's dying form the way she never could… but you must take her life, Kikyo. Only you can do it." She might not know it, but in the end she would also end up dying. In the end he would kill her.

"Together," Kikyo repeated. She took a step forward, "Together we shall rule!"

"Yes, Kikyo," Naraku replied, his tone neutral. Never would she know her fate. No, for he would place it into his claws, before he ripped it to shreds. There was no way he was going to allow this woman to rule anything. No, for her head would have a better use, he would use it as a paperweight once she was gone, for that was what she would be best suited for. Yes, that seemed like a much better fate then allowing Kikyo to become a ruler of even the worse of the lands.

oOo

The gods continued to watch as suddenly Midoriko gripped onto the black phoenix like shape that symbolized the demoness Kagome. They wondered what the miko had in mind, for surely she was thinking of something that would finally complete the game, and return to them their possession. However, they watched as Midoriko moved the black baboon mask, and the near black piece of silk in front of the silver dog, and the pink bow, while her hand continued to hold onto the phoenix like a lifeline. The miko was acting as if she were finally going to remove the magic she'd placed around the demoness Kagome and set her free, but her hand merely held onto the piece, tapping it with her fingertips once in a while. The demoness, they knew, was probably frustrated that her prison continued to act as if it were going to set her free, before strengthening its power around her. However, for now they would allow Midoriko to control the game, and when she made her fatal mistake they would take action, moving to the Earth's surface to take the Shikon no Tama with their own hands, returning the torn souls to their original forms, before returning to Takamagahara. Once Midoriko made her mistake, it would only prove to them that they should never allow another mortal soul to touch their game for Nihon. True, the entire board had not been together for many centuries, but that did not matter to them—they would keep every mortal soul away from each piece.

Midoriko tapped the piece beneath her fingers once more, telling the demoness silently that soon she would be able to break free of her prison, joining together with her other half. Of course, the demoness might not have believed her even if she told her in person, but that did not matter. After all, she would need them together for when the final act came together. True, the demoness might never forgive her, but she had her reasons for leaving her in her imprisonment for so long. What better way to create the perfect soul? Of course, only she knew of her final move, but when it happened, even the gods would be shocked to find that she created the perfect being, half light, and half dark, part innocent, part corrupted. After all, the perfect soul should be able to admit that they were innocent, yet corrupted at the same time. When she brought them together they would be able to admit this, making them perfect in every way.

Perhaps, though, she should grant them a wish through the Shikon no Tama as well?  _Perhaps…_


	6. Our Everlasting Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read the battle between the two sides. Read as finally the demoness Kagome is released, and what happens will probably shock you. Wait to find out if Midoriko completes her Game of Fate, or if it all falls apart. Read and find out what happens in the end.

She groaned as the light of the sun rose above the trees and caressed the skin of her face. However, she managed to remove its rather annoying presence by burying her face in the chest of the currently purring youkai. Wait,  _purring_? The miko Kagome cracked her eyes open to see the golden eyes of her lover staring down at her, his chest giving off a rumble that sent shivers down her spine. As she gazed up at him with love, however, the inuyoukai moved his face to her neck, pressing his mouth to the marking placed there, before lapping his tongue over it. It sent the most delightful feelings coursing through her, but Sesshoumaru did something rather like a feasting animal after he ran his tongue over the crescent moon like shape. He bit down…

Kagome stiffened when his fangs sank back into his mark, the miko not quite understanding the need he had for her sizzling blood, which coursed down the back of his throat. However, he continued to let out his contented growl, before finally removing his fangs from the marking, his nose rubbing against the bleeding area for a moment. Afterward, though, he bathed it with his tongue once more, healing the double fanged mark easily with his healing saliva. The punchers from his longest canines were the easiest to see, but the blue crescent moon that had formed on the base of her jugular had covered the others. Sesshoumaru, nuzzling his nose against the marking once more, delighted in the feel of his mate against him, needed to know that the female within his arms was his own, and to please his beast bit back into the mark, tasting the blood of their miko—the same blood that had been mixed with his own the night before when he cut open his tongue and mixed together their blood through the marking he'd created.

He still was not sure how the mating had been completed, exactly, but he had to thank whatever strange occurrence had taken place the night before. He'd thought about it long and hard during the night, watching as his little miko mate slept within his arms. He'd came to the conclusion that her miko abilities had completed the bonding when he mixed their blood together, blending their aura, their lifespan, and their powers together as one, instead of having to make the little miko go through a painful ceremony. Even though he did not need much sleep, he'd laid forehead against her neck, drifting into a light sleep with his peaceful feeling of completion, before awakening when her heartbeat began to differ from her dream state, telling him of her awakening.

Giggling a little, Kagome locked her arms around the inuyoukai's neck, the feel of his boa wrapped around them giving her the feeling of being safe and warm. Her hands reached for his silvery hair, running her fingers through the silky locks, amazed still that this creature was to be her mate, no, was her mate! In youkai terms, but what would she tell her mother? The elder miko would surely be angered with her, or perhaps she would merely want her to have a traditional ningen wedding within the village. Would Sesshoumaru want that? Probably not… However, she allowed her mind to leave those thoughts behind, smiling when Sesshoumaru lapped over the marking once again, as if he were afraid it would not be there the next time he checked. She couldn't blame him, she was still a little shaken after the night before, since it was hard for her to just come out and say that they had mated, and that she could never leave his side.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head, looking at the marking from a different angle, before lapping his tongue over it once more. He knew that pleasure was flooding throughout his mate's body, probably bringing her blood to a boil, but he also knew that his beast had been rather rough the night before, and he should allow her to rest before another round in the woods. So, instead of allowing his instincts to take hold of his mind, he held back, nudging her shoulder with his nose, before bathing his mark in his scent, making sure others, even ningen, would know that the little miko beside him belonged to him. Though he could remember long ago telling himself his heart was his own, and no one but him would own it, he allowed her to take ahold of it, allowing her to keep him as her own, so he belonged to her as much as she belonged to him. Everyone would know that, for if they tried to take her from him, they would not only learn of the inuyoukai's possessive nature, but possibly his jealousy, for she was his mate and no one but him had the right to be with her as he was now.

Kagome waited, feeling his claws run down her side, touching her, trying to cover her in his scent as he told her he would probably do once she awakened. She would not stop him, no, for it was simply something that he, as a youkai, was  _pushed_  to do by his instincts. Of course, she did smile when he finally lifted his head, his golden eyes staring into her own, a small hint of a smile forming on his perfect lips. Giving a grin, Kagome said, "I love you, Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru blinked a moment, before thinking over her words. He knew what they meant, but he had never had anyone who he had ever truly loved before. However, he turned to his mark, touching it for a second, before bringing his nose up to nudge against her chin. Growling, he replied, "Mine. My miko.  **My**  mate." His voice was low enough to be a whisper, but when she hugged him tighter around the neck he knew she'd heard him. His words had obviously made her happy, and that made him happy as well. After all, the miko didn't understand when he growled his own love to her, so he'd have to remember to tell her more often than not, for he might lose her as his mother had lost his father so long ago.

Happiness knew no bounds for the little miko in his arms, as tears began forming in her eyes suddenly. She hadn't actually thought he'd reply at all, merely going back to his mark to bathe it more with his tongue, but now it was obvious she was wrong. However, as the tears streaked down her cheeks, she heard Sesshoumaru whimper, obviously wondering what was wrong with her, since she'd wanted to hear the words he'd spoken. His whimpering continued, before she felt his tongue brush over her cheek, cleaning her of her tears, before she smiled at him, causing him to tilt his head to the side as she peeked out at him from under her lashes. Blinking, however, Kagome noticed that he'd tensed, his head up and alert, watching the forest around them like a predator waiting for its meal to come through the bushes.

"Someone is coming," he whispered, staring out into the woods. His eyes hardened when suddenly Kagome's neko friend broke through the tree line, before coming forward, Suni growling a little at him. He watched as the neko-youkai laid down against his mate's back, while she held onto his arms, watching the forest herself. Though she didn't seem to mind the neko-youkai, she tensed when suddenly a woman dressed in, strangely, a black and white miko garb stepped out of the forest.

Listening to her suddenly pounding heart, he heard her whisper, "Mother" before trying to bury herself deeper into his chest. Not that he minded, but as he watched the elder miko closely, he saw that she held nothing against the fact that they were lying together in, well, an embrace that would have told anyone they were not just friends, as she'd told her mother when they'd first met. Of course, the miko had been inside one of the huts, tending to an older ningen male with a broken arm, so he had not actually gotten to see her while Kikyo went inside to hiss about the youkai inside the village. Their mother hadn't seemed to care that much, but had merely told them that in order to keep the village quiet and peaceful they would need to stay in the forest on visits. That was around the time Kikyo had came stomping out of the hut, her aura filled with a deeper hatred for him suddenly, as Kagome finished patching up her friend, Suni, enough to show him back out into the forest, and to whisper where to meet her.

It had been that whisper that led them together. That very whisper that had caused him to spend most of his nights with the little miko, causing his heart to become more entangled within her wicked grip. That little whisper to meet her later that night had caused him to become what he had once thought would be the end of his life; he'd become like his father, a ningen lover. Except, he was Sesshoumaru, no one would dare defy his decision to take a ningen mate, no one would go against his rule when they told them they're Lady of the Western Lands was a ningen. No, for he would kill those who tried to take her from him, he would kill those who tried to take the pup he knew was growing within her womb. He was unlike his father, Touga, for he would not simply go around with another woman once his first pup was grown, like his had, no, for though he might have not wanted to admit it at first… his heart was completely within her grasp. No one else would ever know of his love.

Kagome frowned against the chest of her mate, tears beginning to well in her eyes as she thought of the words her mother might say to her. True, her mother might not have been against the idea of youkai walking the land, but she was positive that she would not like the idea of one of her own daughters' mated to one of the creatures. Even if she wasn't, she was sure that Kikyo would have a few choice words about her choice. Kikyo hated youkai, so it wouldn't surprise her when she allowed her mate to come within the village, Kikyo telling her about how she'd lowered herself in the eyes of others, how she'd defiled her body with the essence of a youkai, how she'd probably lost her miko abilities when she'd allowed the youkai into her body. Kagome gave a small shake of her head, thinking,  _No, I will not allow Kikyo to say such things about Sesshoumaru. She doesn't know him as I do._

Kagome's mother came forward, standing a few yards away from the couple, her eyes soft as she watched the youkai wrap his arms tighter around the young girl, obviously sensing her sudden downhearted mood. She smiled, however, causing a dark brow to be raised on the youkai's face, the boa, obviously enchanted, tightening its grip when the youkai did. She knew that this Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, was now apart of her family, but she also knew that her smile had probably made the youkai think her mind had suddenly turned to purifying him. No, she would respect her daughter's decision, which was why she merely called out, "Kagome, dearest, you've been gone all morning. I was beginning to get worried. However, I do have one question for you?"

Blinking, Kagome turned her face so she could see her mother, a woman by the name of Sorano. She saw the smile on her face, and though confusion raced through her bones, she knew deep down that her mother approved of her choice. After all, her mother had always told Kikyo and her that they deserved the best, and the best was wherever their hearts chose to lie. "Yes, mother?" she asked, wondering what could be so important that her mother sought her out. True, she must have been worried about her, but what else could she be worried about?

Sorano frowned, before giving a long sigh. She was not sure how she was going to ask this, since she knew of Kikyo's growing hatred. It would not take merely one night for her eldest to accept her youngest. No, but still, she allowed, "Have you seen Kikyo this morning?" to pass from her lips without much thought.

It was not Kagome that answered, though her lips had opened to do so. "Kikyo has not been seen," Sesshoumaru said, pulling Sorano's attention to himself. He knew that Kagome had been ready to answer, but had done so himself since he had better senses than his little mate. He had not sensed Kikyo since the night before, when she'd walked away from them and deeper into the forest. Obviously the elder miko woman had thought that he could not sense her simply because he could not smell her. She was an imbecile to have even allowed such thoughts to pass among her thoughts if that had been her plan. He had thought she'd merely turned tail and went back to the village, but it appeared she had not. He chose to tell Kagome's mother this, and after doing so the woman frowned deeply, her lip being brought between her teeth as she worried it.

Sorano nodded, saying, "I feared as much."

Kagome blinked again, feeling her limps move to place her on her feet. Obviously Sesshoumaru was not modest at all, for he simply stood, moving to where he'd tossed their clothing, pulling on his hakama, before coming to her side. She felt the boa that had been draped over her tighten its hold, clinging to her like a second skin, curling around the sections of her body Sesshoumaru had told her he would never allow another male to see. She felt Sesshoumaru stand behind her, knowing her kimono was in ruins, but the one he'd given her was within his claws, held out so she could take it. She did not, instead wishing to know what her mother was speaking of. "Mother, what is it you fear?" she asked.

"Its reappearance was only an omen. One that I decided to ignore," Sorano sighed, shaking her head. "I did not fear as much as I do now. It is obvious to me now that the omen I decided to ignore has taken her from us, possibly into the hands of the one who is causing most trouble within the lands. After all, even Suni would not approach such a being… and she would not go near Kikyo that day."

Kagome became worried, hugging the boa to her form, glancing briefly to Sesshoumaru for some type of support. However, the youkai was as stoic as ever, merely a slight narrow of his eyes to tell her he was thinking over her mother's words. "Mother…?" she tried once more.

"I fear your sister is now helping a hanyou by the name of Naraku," Sorano sighed. "His name has only recently touched the village ears, but it is said that he had been seen heading this way. They say that he was born from the very pits of Hell, his form taking shape within fire. He is said to bring ill omens' wherever he goes, and to turn the hearts of innocent ones to evil…

"The reappearance of the Shikon no Tama," she whispered. "Its reappearance, I knew I should not have merely overlooked it. Especially since it came from your very body! I knew… I knew, but I did nothing." Sorano glanced up to see the pink, glittering, jewel around her daughter's neck, happy to know that the girl had worn it, instead of merely tossing it to the side in her night of passion. At least one of her daughter's could, and would do as she asked them.

"The Shikon no Tama," Kagome whispered. Her fingers reached up to play with the small, round jewel around her neck, feeling its power caress her fingers lightly. Her mother's worry, though, it upset her, for she had not seen her mother like this in years. Her mate sensed her worry, for his hands were placed upon her shoulders, and though she tensed a little at the feel of his claws, she allowed him to knead the flesh underneath his magical fingertips, turning her tense muscles to mush within his grip. He must have been satisfied, for he began pulling his boa away from her, even though she tried to keep it covering her.

Sesshoumaru smirked, pulling the boa away from her without much trouble, seeing the elder miko blink a little when her daughter suddenly turned bright red, trying to cover her sudden nakedness underneath her hands. Of course, he was amused with her embarrassment, but he quickly situated the kimono draped on his arm into his hands, placing it on her shoulders. His eyes took in her naked breasts as she reached up to grip the first layer of the kimono, quickly pulling it closed around her, when he held out the next layer, knowing that when she was within them all she would look the part of his mate. True, she was lovely in anything, but the red wine colored kimono he'd given her, with the kuro-inu designs on the sleeves, and neck would look lovely on her. Of course, it was the woman that made the kimono lovely, not the fine fabric.

Sorano smiled, seeing her daughter fitted into the last layer of the kimono, its obi being tied by the male at her side. Her daughter looked like someone born of royalty, instead of merely placed into the position suddenly. Still, her smile brightened when the girl placed a soft kiss on the youkai's check, just as Suni decided she wasn't getting the attention she deserved, and placed her head beneath Kagome's hand. Watching as her daughter patted the neko's head, Sorano said, "It seems you have found where your heart truly lies, Kagome. I'm so proud of you, not only for finding a person to love, but also for making the right decisions during your life. I know I have not told you near as many times as I should have, Kagome, but you're one of the greatest gifts the gods have ever given to me."

Seeing the boa wrap itself around Sesshoumaru's leg, Kagome turned to her mother, saying, "Thank you, mother." Her words brought a burning to her chest, one that made her want to continue making her mother happy. After all, it wasn't often that her mother told her such things, whether it was about her life, or the things she did within it. Truly, it made her happy enough to cry once more, but she stopped the tears from coming, merely allowing a bright smile to appear on her lips.

Sorano turned from the couple, knowing they would return to the village when they were ready. However, she cast a glance to the sky, her eyes saddened once again. Though she knew Lord Sesshoumaru would be able to hear her words, she could not stop her from voicing her worry. "Still," she nearly whispered, "I fear even that is not enough to save Kikyo. My eldest daughter has decided her path." She did not voice it, but her mind continued none-the-less,  _and it makes me happy to know that Kagome will walk a better one._  The wind picked up, catching her black hair in its grip, pulling it to the side, as she began to walk.  _Happier than anyone shall ever know_ , she finished, tucking a loose strand, having fallen from her braid, behind her ear.

oOo

It was almost time…

Kikyo had road the back of the same doragon-youkai for nearly a week. Naraku road ahead of her, his body lifted by the countless youkai surrounding his body. However, she road quietly, her body turned so both her legs were swung over one side, riding the doragon much like she would have a horse if she were a proper lady. The doragon was a smooth, and easy ride, merely feeling as if it were swimming beneath it, its wriggling body following its current master to the next place he took them to. Of course, she would not say anything, but he had been traveling toward the south for some time now, and she wondered if Naraku had some plan to get the youkai ruling the Southern Lands to help them in their current quest. It was not exactly a young tale, but back when the Western Lands were controlled by another inuyoukai named Touga the panthers ruling the South had tried to take over the West as well, only to be crushed beneath the might of the inuyoukai of the time. Then again, Naraku could merely be getting more allies, not that he needed more, they had an army of over nearly a thousand lesser youkai. Stronger youkai might be needed, though, for she knew her sister could take out more then fifty lesser youkai with a single arrow.

Why though? Why didn't Naraku just attack them and get it over with? She knew that each day his power seemed to increase by just a small fraction. Maybe he doubted his abilities, or perhaps he was merely afraid. Yes, perhaps he wanted a wall of youkai to protect him from her sister's attacks. After all, that was why he wanted her to take Kagome's life, instead of going after it himself. Yes, that was why he wanted her to get rid of her troublesome sister, while he took care of the taiyoukai. Once they were both gone, well, they would see what happened from there. Once she got her hands on the Western Lands they would blossom into something beyond words, into the lands that everyone would wish to live upon.

Naraku allowed his eyes to shift a little, taking in the miko sitting upon his now loyal pet. However, his eyes did not linger for long, soon turning back to the landscape, calling out to any lesser youkai that wished to completely destroy the stronger youkai that caused them to hide. Why else would lesser youkai go under the rule of a hanyou, one who was even starting to think he was crazy, himself? At first he had not paid much attention to it, but now he could hear the voice in the back of his head screaming for him to return to the Eastern Lands and kill the miko Kagome. The voice was not his own, and it seemed to have a hold over him, for he'd nearly turned back and started the war he wished to control. He'd held himself back, though, and many times he'd shoved the voice away, telling it silently that he would not do as it said. No, he was Naraku, and he followed his own plans, and actions.

Still, even he knew that his army was beginning to come together. Soon they would return to the Eastern Lands, and soon he would gain control over the Western Lands. When he killed Kagome, well, he wasn't sure what would happen, but he'd make sure that it was his hand she died upon, for her sister held no such right. No, for though the miko would help him block her sister's attacks, he would destroy her in the end, and take the life of Kagome. Hm, perhaps he could even earn himself a kiss, causing the taiyoukai, Sesshoumaru, to go overboard, as his miasma flooded into the girl's body, causing her to die a slow and painful death. Yes, that was surely set the taiyoukai overboard, and once he transformed, well, he would be easy to kill, for his logical mind would not be in control of his actions. No, the taiyoukai would be a near insane beast searching for his blood, but Sesshoumaru would not get it, for that would mean his own death, and he was not planning to go down that path for a very long time.

Kikyo sighed once more, lifting her hand, hoping to make the sound travel further when she cupped it next to her mouth. She'd remained silent for this long, but she would stay silent no longer. "Naraku, how much longer do you plan to merely travel across the lands?" she yelled, "I hope to get rid of that selfish sister of mine very soon, or I might just turn this doragon around and take her life without you!"

Giving a soft growl she could not hear, Naraku replied, "Do not worry yourself, Kikyo. We shall return within a week or so, give or take a few days." Really, the bitch was beginning to become annoying beyond belief. He was beginning to wonder why he continued to put up with her annoying ass, instead of merely slicing her head from her shoulders and being done with her, once and for all. However, he continued to tell himself that once they had gotten enough support in order to bring the taiyoukai to a tired state, then they would return and once the battle was over, or halfway through, whenever, the elder miko would meet her demise.

Yes, it was almost time. They were almost ready.

oOo

Midoriko continued to watch, her hand still grasped onto the figure of the phoenix, holding it, tapping against it, silently telling the frustrated demoness she'd be released very, very soon. However, she knew the female youkai could not hear her, and was screeching inside the home she'd created from her. The souls had stopped going to her recently, leaving her all alone in her home of darkness, causing the youkai female hatred for her to grow. It was only obvious that it was her that had stopped the only company the demoness got in order to keep her from losing her mind to insanity. However, she needed the demoness Kagome angry enough for the final transformation to take place. She needed their power to be at the very climax, before telling the demoness to once more become one with her miko counterpart. Once she set the demoness's instincts into finding her miko counterpart she would, and then she would have the weapon she needed in order to make sure the Shikon was returned to the gods.

Time flew faster for her than it did for the mortals on Earth. Within a near blink of an eye she released the figure of the phoenix, and watched as suddenly it burst into flames upon her board, the demoness moving away from her prison-like home, floating off her board just a bit. She watched as the figure went in circles, obviously in true form in Nihon. However, her eyes turned to the others, watching as suddenly one of the pieces shattered, the person's soul being released from their body. However, for a moment she was afraid her Game of Fate might be lost, for… for unlike what she had planned, Naraku's hands had managed to get ahold of the piece of the Shikon no Tama within the hands of the miko Kagome.

Standing quite suddenly, Midoriko knew the gods were smirking down at her, obviously thinking she would run far away from the game and hide in a corner or something. However, she would not, and when she saw the pink bow of the miko Kagome brighten, she watched as the dark aura around the demoness strengthened, and she gave her own smirk, looking up at the three gods hovering above her. They were eternal like they should be, and though she hated to admit it, they might have been able to merely receive the Shikon from the hands of a miko, or maybe even a youkai who worshipped them. However, she shook her head, turning her head back to watch the demoness Kagome's piece move swiftly toward the miko Kagome, both of which seemed to be out of control. However, her smirk grew into a grin, and she waited for the battle to be over and done with.

oOo

The sun shined brightly during the mid-afternoon, the people of the village moving far away from her and her youkai lover as they moved by them. Her bow and arrows were situated on her back, but she was so used to them that she barely even realized they were still there. She was no longer in the fine kimono he'd given her, even though he'd said that her miko garb was beneath her now. She'd merely shook her head, telling him that if he didn't like it, then he wouldn't have to wear it, to which he said he'd never be caught dead within such a thing. He hadn't taken well when she'd mumbled, "Men" under her breath. Of course, his  _punishment_  hadn't been that bad, actually. In fact, she grinned at the thought of the day before, which was why she suddenly frowned deeply when she saw the most unlikely person standing at the end of the village, people beginning to surround around her. A person that had been missing, causing her mother to want to know where she was going everyday. It was like her mother had thought that when she walked out of the hut they lived in she wasn't coming back.

Jaken stopped at the heels of his lord, looking around to see that stupid miko who'd insulted his lord many moons ago. Of course, he was sure Lord Sesshoumaru would take the miko's head for such words, but he was still getting used to the idea of Lord Sesshoumaru having a ningen mate. Yes, she was… kind, but she was not what he would have thought Lord Sesshoumaru would have wanted in a mate. However, he pulled the Staff of Two Heads out in front of him, balancing it on the ground in case his lord would need him.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, giving a near silent growl when he noticed the miko Kikyo had returned. He knew that Jaken was behind him, but he moved a little closer to Kagome while watching Kikyo talk with some of the villagers. He did not trust the miko, especially when he felt the aura she was giving off. It was dark and hateful, the miko obviously having been with someone she either didn't like, or was putting evil thoughts into her mind. Plus, she smelled horribly. Whoever she had decided to become  _friends_  with, well, they needed many bathes before he'd be able to breathe through his nose without feeling like he could taste that horrible stench.

Her heart nearly stopped when her mother was suddenly beside her, the elder woman narrowing her eyes a little. Her mother looked down at her, when she said, "Kikyo."

"It appears so," Sorano replied. "However, I sense an evil aura mixed within her own. She has been near someone she should hate beyond reason from her mere nature, and her thoughts of the current world. Why?" She sighed, "Why is Kikyo doing this to me? Why can't she just live like everyone else?"

Kagome's heart almost broke. However, that's what caused her attention to be on her mother, instead of her elder sister, who had began walking toward them. She didn't notice how her sister's eyes were trained upon her, her eyes cold and unwelcoming, yet a gleam forming within their depths as suddenly their mother waved her hand, causing a barrier to be erected in front of them. That was what brought her attention to Sesshoumaru, since he growled at the feeling of miko energy surrounding him. Knowing he needed her, she placed her hand upon his arm, watching as he turned toward her, before suddenly burying his nose within her hair to calm his nerves.

Kikyo smiled, her very aura cold and unwelcoming to those who could sense it. Even her smile was threatening, her time with Naraku having affected her. However, her current mission was in action, and she needed to get two people of their plan to a place far away from the village, the same place Naraku was currently  _hiding_. Once she managed to get them there… well, the fun would begin. However, for now she lightly touched the barrier her mother had created, knowing that the miko was greater in strength than herself, and without another miko, or possibly a houshi she would not be able to break it. So, she decided on talking to her, "Come now, mother, I'm not here to fight. I merely wish to have a comforting conversation with my sister. If you do not wish for it to be held within the confines of the village, then we could take it out into the forest."

Sorano narrowed her eyes, before saying, "Go back to the hole you decided to crawl out of, Kikyo. It is obvious to me that you have been with a creature of pure evil recently, and I do not wish for your current aura to taint this village. Leave, or be forced to." She knew the villagers were confused, each one of them stepping away from Kikyo suddenly as if she were an ill omen in the sky above them. However, she did not like the feeling her eldest daughter was giving her, and she even felt like she wanted to shiver suddenly in fear. She would not; she would stand tall and fight her eldest if she had to.

Kikyo blinked innocently, before turning to Kagome, watching as the taiyoukai lifted his head to snarl at her. The inuyoukai did not bother her, though, and she merely continued to blink, her eyelids lowering and rising in a quick motion. Another smile, softer than the last one, formed on her lips, as she said, "Surely you would not deny me a small moment of your time, would you, Kagome? You could even bring Sesshoumaru, Suni, and even mother if you wished it. Unless, of course, you're too afraid to enter the forest with your eldest sister…"

"I am not afraid, Kikyo," Kagome hissed, her eyes flashing in anger. No one seemed to notice how only one of her eyes turned a bright pink, while the other turned the color of blood, each of them narrowing in anger at her elder sister. Stepping forward, she felt Sesshoumaru's hand grip her shoulder, before she shrugged it off, saying, "Come now, mate. Surely you're not afraid of a miko. Besides, Sesshoumaru, you could rip her apart if she were to even mouth off, couldn't you? Hm?"

Sesshoumaru glanced down at his miko mate, noticing the way her eyes flashed in anger. He sighed through his nose, before saying, "No, this Sesshoumaru is not afraid of your sister, Kagome. However, if is not wise to go out alone with one who is nearly dripping from the seams with such an evil essence."

"Do not try to mock me, Sesshoumaru," Kikyo hissed, "for I know the way you've tainted Kagome. I bet she can't even use her miko powers now that you're  _mated_ , as you call it. No, for if you had mated her, her powers would not have left her body, the gods above denying her of her abilities because of you."

Sorano reached out to grab at Kagome, but her youngest had already moved out of the barrier she'd created. She watched as her daughter's mate went to follow her, her eldest turning on the spot and walking out into the forest. Suni soon followed, the neko-youkai giving off a flash of light before her larger form stood at the end of the village, before she disappeared into the forest behind her master and friend. Sorano allowed her barrier to spread out over the entire village, before turning her eyes toward the ground, tears falling from her eyes for a moment. Something told her something big was going to happen, and within the hour she did hear the sound of battle.  _Gods above, why did you give Kagome a temperamental problem? Why? You might have caused me to lose both my daughter's_ , Sorano shook her head, turning away from the forest before she went rushing into it.

She knew, though, that Kikyo was wrong. Kagome's power were still intact, and the young woman would soon show her sister that she was not a force to be reckoned with. True, her youngest might have been the gentler one of the two, but Kagome was also the most worthy to protect the jewel she now held, for unlike Kikyo, Kagome would protect it with her life, forever.

Jaken merely clutched the staff he held, knowing that should Lord Sesshoumaru need him he'd be summoned. Instead he turned to follow the elder miko, knowing that Lord Sesshoumaru would wish for him to protect the mother of his, though he still didn't like the idea, mate. Besides, throughout their time in the village, Sorano, as she was called, was the only one who hadn't hit him. Even when he apologized, Lord Sesshoumaru still let his mate take out her anger on him, beating him into the ground.

Kagome followed Kikyo, her eyes still flashing, knowing from the feeling of silk sliding against her hand that her taiyoukai mate was beside her. She also knew that her neko friend had decided to join in the fun, for her larger form, about twice the size of her smaller form, was moving through the forest beside her, growling in warning to many creatures around them. Her eyes were mainly focused on her sister, though, determined to beat the elder miko at her own game. Kikyo would be in for a big surprise when she blasted her a new one with her still intact powers; yeah, then maybe her sister would see that mikos' could mate with youkai without consequences. After all, she was living proof of that fact.

Sesshoumaru sniffed the air, taking in the horrible scent, knowing that wherever Kikyo was taking them, the evil he sensed would be there as well. Well, whatever threatened his mate would die. Surely that was what was happening here, for Kikyo was obviously working with the,  _sniff_ , male hanyou, and since she'd issued the challenge to his mate, then obviously she was leading them away to her comrade. Perhaps she thought she could make a surprise attack, killing them both, and simply going off to taint her body more, since by the smell of her, she wasn't as innocent as she claimed. Perhaps she'd found a lover while she was away, or maybe she thought that by simply bedding a creature with demonic energy would not harm her. To bad it wouldn't.

Kikyo smirked, her eyes hardening even further, as she stepped out into a large field. She knew that her sister gave a small gasp when suddenly a doragon-youkai flew underneath her, lifting her into the air, before flying over to her companion and ally. She grabbed the doragon by the horn, keeping herself steady, before reaching back with her other hand to untie her bow and arrows, her hishu tucked into the top of her haori in case she needed it. However, she was positive she could easily take Kagome out with a few arrows, at least ones with miko energy channeled into them, since Kagome could simply put up a special barrier in order to block another miko's attack, plus, she might hurt the youkai helping them. Even as she thought this, she held onto the blue wriggling body of the flying doragon before it landed next to Naraku, who had his hand in the air, ready to signal to the others when it was time to go forth.

Sesshoumaru growled, smelling the large amount of lesser youkai in the air. Without much thought he stepped in front of Kagome, blocking his mate from them, while searching for their smaller auras in the very tall grass. His eyes widened only a fraction when he came to realize their were hundred upon hundred, most of which were high in the sky. "I believe we've been pulled into a battle, Kagome," he whispered to her, watching as the man next to Kikyo grinned evilly.

Kagome snorted, "You really think so?" Her voice was surprised, yet mocking at the same time as she gazed around his back, knowing full well that she'd have to jump downward very quickly once the battle started. After all, she could not only hear the rustling of the grass, but she could see the head of a red looking doragon, staring right at her head as if it were a chew toy. Well, no youkai was going to get one up on her this day, no, she'd rather resort to killing with her bare hands than allowing one of these weaklings to take her down. Even as these thoughts were going through her head, though, she managed to giggle when Sesshoumaru sent her a warning growl about her sentence.

"Well, well, well," Naraku's dark, menacing tone traveled across the expanse with ease, "what do we have here? The Lord of the Western Lands with his  _ningen_  whore, perhaps?" Hearing Sesshoumaru growl once more, he chuckled, before saying, "It's a shame that a man once so high in stature is now staying within a small little village, not even in your own lands, because your ningen mate wishes it. You have fallen from grace,  _Lord_  Sesshoumaru."

Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to bleed a little, saying, "You have already bored this Sesshoumaru with your small speech…" he stopped, trying to get the man to say his name, and it worked when he replied with moments, "Naraku."

Naraku smirked, before saying, "Then why don't we let the fun begin, hm?" However, he watched as quite suddenly Sesshoumaru's miko wench raised her hand to the side, smirking much like he was. He let his hand stayed where it was, his eyes narrowing in wonder about what she was doing. He noticed that Kikyo had notched an arrow into her bow, pointing straight toward them, obviously ready to let it fly should Kagome pull off some type of power they'd never seen her use. After all, Kikyo said that Kagome was always growing in power for some reason.

Sesshoumaru watched as Naraku's smirk faded, and looked back to see Kagome's hand reaching out to the right. His eyebrow rose, even though he was ready for any attack that would come their way, his senses on full alert. His claws were nearly dripping with poison, his whip ready to materialize into the world at his command should he need to protect his mate.

"Perhaps we should, Naraku," Kagome said, a blast of pink light being released from her hand. She felt Sesshoumaru's sudden tension, though she was not touching him, as her purification energy destroyed the doragon hiding near her. She held no ill feelings when the youkai was destroyed, but she touched Sesshoumaru's arm to once again remind him of the test they'd done. Their mating had insured that her holy powers couldn't harm him, but she wasn't sure about Kikyo's as of yet.

The many other lesser youkai became frightened at her small show of power, and suddenly lunged into battle, even though Naraku had not signaled for them to attack. Naraku's eyes narrowed as the lesser youkai rushed through the air, and along the ground around him toward their two victims. He watched as Kikyo suddenly let an arrow fly, the swishing sound of it cutting through the air attracting the attention of the taiyoukai.

Kagome pulled her bow from her back, quickly pulling an arrow from her quiver and against the bowstring. Pulling the string back, she stood her ground, waiting for her opponents to get close enough for her to easily take out most of them before they could move out of the way of its purification stream. She was so focused on the lesser youkai that she never noticed the arrow being sent at her, which was why she was lucky Sesshoumaru had not moved far away from her current position, since it would have struck her in the heart.

Sesshoumaru heard the slicing of the air, looked over toward the arrow, which was heading quickly, and accurately toward Kagome. Looking back, he noticed how his mate was more focused on what she could see, instead of what she could sense. Moving at demonic speed, he moved in front of her, feeling her eyes suddenly move to his back while he grabbed the arrow right out of the air, its wood melting easily in the acid like mist he created. He glared at Kagome's would be murderer, her own sister, before flicking out his whip when the first wave of lesser youkai came upon them. The whip sliced through the first four with ease, as he felt Kagome's wave of holy energy move through the air as she released her first arrow.

With a fierce roar, Suni tackled a youkai to the ground, her metal like claws killing it almost instantly before she went after another one. The lesser youkai were stupid, but fast, moving away from her, but most of the time merely charging at her when she went for them. Without much trouble, Suni brought another youkai's life to an end, before whipping her tail out to slice another straight in half. Her newfound bloodlust nearly subsided when a white-hot pain swarmed into her body through her back, before she whipped her head around, seeing an obviously poisonous type of lesser youkai, though her brain didn't register what type it was before her tail slammed against it, throwing it to the ground before she leapt upon it, tearing its throat out.

Giving a small pant, Suni felt the poison begin moving throughout her body, before she began glowing a light blue in color. On instinct she shook her fur, feeling the poison seep back through her closing wound, before the rest was completely destroyed by her immune system. She shook once more, the new color surrounding her fading with each ripple of her body, before she gave a final shake of her tail, the color seeming to snap into nothingness, before she raced forward, completely healthy once more. She never missed a beat, the end of her tail snapping open, slicing through many of her opponents as she raced by them.

Kikyo gritted her teeth, narrowing her eyes dangerously at Kagome, watching as the younger miko shot another arrow into the air, getting rid of many of the lesser youkai surrounding her. Of course, her taiyoukai mate was close by her, his eyes scanning the area for something, while Naraku merely stood next to her, his eyes watching the battle before him. She reached back, grabbing another arrow, watching as a few of Naraku's strange tentacle like appendages were uncovered from beneath his baboon pelt, and she nearly jumped when one of those appendages shot forward, going to great lengths hitting the taiyoukai in the shoulder, causing him to snap his head toward them. She smirked when she saw the pure hatred inside the powerful youkai's eyes, before pulling her arrow into her bowstring and pulling it back, pointing it straight at her sister once more.

His claws tore through many of the weak youkai surrounding him. Blood splattered into the air, seeming to fall nearly in slow motion as he moved at youkai speed, becoming something like a white blur to those around him. However, it helped to get rid of the outrageous number of youkai attacking them. What could you expect from a cowardly man, though? Not much. Still, he glanced over at Kagome to see her thrust her bow to the side, sending a youkai flying, its body wriggling in the air before being purified completely. Well, at least his mate was all right… for now… He turned from her, slicing through another youkai, before grasping one that would have passed him by the tail, snarling, and ripping it to pieces with ease.

Seeing the taiyoukai preoccupied, Kikyo let her arrow fly. Her face turned into a grin, as she watched many of the lesser youkai move out of the way in order for her arrow to fly straight and true. However, she nearly yelled in anger when Kagome's face turned toward her, her own arrow being sent out, splitting her's in half, before her own barrier was raised in order to keep the energized arrow from coming near her. Still, that wouldn't stop her from trying, and she quickly notched another arrow into her bow, bringing it up, knowing that sooner or later she would get another clean shot.

Kagome reached back, once more pulling one of the fewer arrows she had into her bowstring, before pointing it straight into the air, letting it fly. It was surrounded by holy energy, slicing through the air, purifying any lesser youkai that came near it. However, it soon ran out of power, and came falling back down to earth, but not before it hit a larger looking youkai, who screamed in agony before turning to dust. However, she knew she was quickly running out of arrows, and readied her bow to become a weapon, even though it would only be good if swung. Besides, she always kept her best weapon for last, and she wasn't ready to show that just yet.

Naraku glanced over at the giant neko rushing toward them. It had taken a while for it to get past the many youkai that had surrounded it, but soon enough it was pumping its legs, rushing at them while giving off another fierce roar, which echoed into the air, along with screams, many pain filled cries, growls, snarls, and any other type of noise these creatures could make. However, he knew that even though his comrades numbers were beginning to shrink, the taiyoukai, and his mate were not left unharmed, just like their neko friend, who'd barely escaped being stabbed by one of his tentacles.

Fangs sank into her shoulder, her quiver slipping down her arm, her final four arrows clattering against the ground as she gave a small cry. Her miko energy rose before the strange looking youkai could inject any type of dangerous liquid into her system, just as her eyes began to flash once more. Her power rose above the level she was using, a barrier coming up around her, purifying any youkai that came within five feet of her body. When she knew she was safe, Kagome knelt down to pick up her arrows, right before she heard the swishing sound of another arrow cutting through air as she looked up. Her mouth opened in a gasp, perhaps a shout, before her instincts kicked in and she went to jump forward, the arrow breaking through her barrier since it didn't contain any demonic energy, but even as she moved to place herself out of harms way, her sister's arrow sliced through the tissue of her arm, sinking into the flesh as she hissed in pain.

Sesshoumaru turned, feeling his mate's pain, noticing blood soaking into the white sleeve of her haori, an arrow sticking out of her arm. Snarling, he ripped another youkai to pieces, his eyes bleeding a bit more, his markings becoming a bit more jagged, before he began moving toward his mate. He watched, moving quickly, as Kagome snapped the arrow in half, hoping to pull it from her arm without causing many problems to said appendage. However, before he could reach her, since he knew he'd be able to walk through her barrier, a set of fangs latched onto his neck, blood suddenly flooding out of the large wound and covering his neck in his life's liquid. He was paying more attention to his mate, calling out her name a few times, before another youkai's body wrapped around him, their fangs biting into his back.

"S-Sesshoumaru," Kagome gasped, pulling at the arrow. She glanced at him, before glancing back at her sister, noticing the elder miko searching for more arrows inside her quiver, but finding none. The elder woman gave a small show of anger, and she turned her eyes to Sesshoumaru, watching as the youkai tried to come toward her, his body being slowed, until he fell to his knees, his eyes solely on hers, telling her that he was not beat just yet.

" _…Tell me, Sesshoumaru, have you someone to protect…?_ " flashed through his thoughts as he finally raised his arm to slice through a tail of one of the youkai attached to him. They began to fall, but as he rose back onto his feet, trying to reach his mate once more, his beast halfway in control, thus his mind on nothing else, more of the creatures began pilling upon him. However, his mind turned to the question his father had once asked him, and he closed his eyes, before saying what he should have so long ago, "Yes, father. I do. I do have someone to protect, and I will protect her!"

There was a flash, and time seemed to slow for him quite suddenly. The youkai around him were turned to dust, and for a moment he thought Kagome had come to his side. However, this was not to be, for he was once again standing on the beach where he'd told his father long ago that he had no need to protect someone. Before him stood the once mighty taiyoukai, his hair lifted once more by the winter winds. However, unlike that fateful day, his father was not turned away from him, nor was he wounded. No, his father was in fact smiling toward him, and Sesshoumaru looked around once more, his heart calling out to Kagome, wondering where she was when he gave a small whimper he'd tried to keep within his chest.

" _Do not worry so much, my son_ ," Touga said, his form seeming to ripple suddenly, fading a little in the lighting. He merely smiled brighter when his son turned upon him, his beast nearly in full control as he began to snarl at him.

Sesshoumaru bared his fangs, saying, " _Don't worry? How dare you tell this Sesshoumaru not to worry when he is no longer able to even sense his mate? Where are we, father? What have you done with Kagome?_ "

Touga shook his head, before saying, " _You have proven yourself worthy, Sesshoumaru."_

"Worthy for what?"

Once more his father smiled, before beginning to fade. However, as he felt himself once more fall into his body, he heard the words, " _You shall see_ " inside his mind, before he opened his eyes to find that he was standing where he had been when he'd fallen to his knees. However, he glanced upward, seeing that Kagome had pulled the arrow from her arm, her hand clenching the wound to keep pressure upon it, trying hard to stop the bleeding. His eyes did not linger on her long, for they moved to the item standing upward in the ground before him, and suddenly his eyes widened further than they had before as his hand reached out to grasp the hilt.

Kagome felt like she'd gone blind for a moment, but watched as Sesshoumaru pulled the hilt of the sword suddenly before him. She gasped when it grew in size as it was pulled from its sheath, before he held a giant fang above his head, gazing up at it in amazement.

Naraku glared toward them once more, watching as Sesshoumaru turned toward him, the sword held in one hand out to his side, a smirking forming on the taiyoukai's lips. What was that he held, some type of youkai fang? Whatever it was it gave off strong amounts of demonic energy, and he decided that it was time to join the battle. Without much thought he allowed his tentacles to be revealed from underneath his pelt, before beginning to shoot them out toward the taiyoukai, just as Sesshoumaru swung the sword, a white light coming from it, before he heard the words, "Kaze no Kizu" yelled from the distance.

Tetsusaiga! Finally the sword was within his hands, and he swung it again, watching as a hundred youkai were crushed beneath its power. It seemed to hum in his hand, as he let a grin cross his face, turning to allow his mate to see it. What he saw, however, cause his heart to fall, nearly stopping to beat all together. His lip trembled a little, and his eyes completely went red with rage, before something stranger happened upon the battlefield.

oOo

She screeched once more, her body pulling away from her tree as far as she could, before her rage began to rise beyond levels she'd ever knew. She felt like her mind was being lost to her suddenly, and her eyes flooded with blood, just as she felt her prison quiver and shake, the darkness around her shrinking away, the magic she held sinking into her body, the entire place falling to pieces. She fell to the ground, naked as the day she was born, her eyes glancing up into the normal forest, noticing how many youkai and animals seemed to begin coming forward into the newly found part of the forest. However, she grinned, but her anger was far to great for her to fight what happened, and suddenly she transformed, her giant black tori form rising into the air.

The long features on her head were decorated with different colors, ranging from dark blue, to purple, to black, but never something light in color, except, of course, the few silver colored features. The rest of her body was black, only her second layer of features not glinting like the darkest depths of places unknown to any man. Her long tail features trailed behind her as she soared through the sky in her true form, her musical cry being pulled from her throat, causing many youkai, ningen, and hanyou alike to fall under its spell. However, her anger was still there, and she couldn't help when she felt her body burst into a tornado of flames, just as she flapped her wings to rise higher into the air. After all, she might have been angry, but she wasn't willing to ruin the beauty she had wished to be free within.

Perhaps Midoriko had finally given her, her second chance? Then again, the ancient miko was probably expecting something from her, and she felt her beast turn its attention toward the Eastern Lands, telling her that was where she needed to be. That was where the fun was happening. So, she ignored her thoughts of Midoriko, and her anger for the moment, twisting her body through the air in order to turn her path toward the place her beast was telling her to go to.

oOo

Kikyo whistled for her doragon ride, watching as the blue youkai came to a stop next to her. She wasn't about to let Kagome get away without a major injury. So, she allowed the doragon to lift her into the air, one of her hands gripping the creature's horn, while her other one reached for her hishu, pulling it from her haori, and waiting for the right moment. She heard the sounds of battle around her, but she directed her ride toward her sister, and within moments they were circling above her, but she didn't wait for the youkai to land. No, she simply let go, beginning to fall through the air, her legs tucking in, while her arm stretched over her chest so that she'd be able to strike with enough speed that even a youkai would not be able to dodge.

Kagome felt her presence, her power rising to keep her barrier up, but knowing that since Kikyo was not, and hadn't, given off any type of energy that would harm her that her sister would be able to get through. However, she hoped, and looked up to see her sister falling toward her, her eyes filled with pure hatred. She felt the power given off by the attack Sesshoumaru had unleashed from his current weapon, but her eyes never strayed from her sister, her eyes changing colors as her power rose, and rose, her instincts beginning to kick in, ready for the final strike. Ready to kill her sister, even though they were blood related. She watched as Kikyo tilted herself so that her shoulder would have to twist, which would have been a much more damaging attack, since her spinning would have caused her to be hit time after time.

Kikyo grinned, her energy ready to be released through the hishu she held, but as she neared her target she heard the sound of slicing air, and turned her head just a little to see what was attacking her. After all, she was on Naraku's side, so nothing should be after her, at least not something on his side. She was wrong, however, for what she saw was Naraku's tentacle heading straight for her, and her hold on her hishu tightened a little, before –

Blood splattered onto her face, and upper body as Kagome watched the green, spiked, looking appendage wriggled on the other side of her sister's chest. Though her sister had once been falling at top speed, she was stopped quite suddenly, thus causing the tentacle to slice through her flesh, her body falling from the air and onto the ground, blood quickly flooding from the wound as she saw Kikyo cough. Though at the moment Kikyo was supposed to be her enemy, she saw her hishu fall out of her hand, and rushed to her side, reaching out her hands to comfort her.

\- pain filled her completely. It started at her stomach, before it seemed to rip up through her chest, and through her shoulder. It happened so fast that Kikyo really wasn't aware of anything but the shock that came with it. Then, she felt herself hit the ground in the most undignified way. Her grip slackened, her hishu falling from her hand, as she felt the world begin to fade around her. It seemed that the miasma given off by Naraku allowed only a few places within her giant wound to bleed quickly, and in large amounts; it seemed that it had caused the wound to seal most of the way. What Kikyo saw, though, right before her chest heaved and she began coughing up the blood within her lungs, was her sister rushing to her side. Something inside her heart filled with a sudden joy, and she reached her shaking hand up to try and touch her sister, who was gazing down at her with one pink, and one blood red eye, before they were blinked away, her eyes blue once more. "K-K-Kag-o-me…" Kikyo coughed once more, the world finally closing in around her, the great light of Takamagahara filling her soul, even though she'd caused such wrongs. It seemed that in her final moments her soul had been purified, and she was given a chance to be happy within a place she should never have known.

"Kikyo," Kagome whispered, her energy beginning to pop and sizzle around her in the air. She turned back toward Naraku, her eyes flooding over with tears. She couldn't see; she didn't want to think. She'd lost her sister, even though the elder miko had wanted nothing to do with her most of her life, and for that she hated him. However, before she could say anything, she heard him speak, and she was surprised to find that his voice was different, smoother, harder, and more evil. It was a voice she'd heard before, a voice that began to fill her head, telling her they'd be together, that if she handed over the Shikon no Tama that they'd be able to live together without anyone trying to rebel against them.

Her former life… she… she remembered it. She remembered him. She remembered Sai. That was the only thing, along with the Shikon no Tama, that she did remember though, as she lifted her eyes to see Sesshoumaru taking out the last of the lesser youkai, only for a few hundred more to swarm into the area. That was when she'd felt the strong aura, raging, ancient power suddenly move into the area she could feel.

"No one shall have your life but me," Sai hissed, "Kagome. I will not allow such tainted beings to destroy you. No, for that pleasure shall be mine! I shall take your life, each and every time you're reborn. Yes, I shall find pleasure in that, until you tell me where your other half is, where your demon side resides now and here. Should you, I might decide otherwise, but should you not, well, say good bye to your life!" His hanyou form raised the weapon it used, shooting it forward toward the miko woman, only for it to stop suddenly when he felt it. A grin formed on his lips, and he knew the miko was distracted, so he quickly ripped the necklace from around her neck, pulling the Shikon no Tama toward him, noticing how it changed from bright pink, to a shallow purple within his grasp.

Sai began to laugh, his voice changing between his own and Naraku's as he yelled, "You foolish woman! Once again you have given me the Shikon! Once more I shall use its power! However, unlike the last foolish mistake I made, I shall not allow you to have any of it. No, no, for it is  _MINE_!" This was followed by a large amount of chuckling, when he felt her presence, when he felt her move over the field, her large phoenix form leaving a shadow upon the ground.

Suni hissed with rage, her claws racking through another youkai that dared approach her master. After moving away from Naraku, she'd gone back to her master's side, protecting her, but knowing that she would be all right without her should she move away, which was how she ended up a few yards or more away from her. Now, she was ripping through the youkai Sesshoumaru wasn't cutting down while he swung his mighty sword, twisting in circles, and cutting through them with grace only known to warriors of his kind. She paid little attention to this, though, watching as Kagome's body took on a golden form as she swung herself onto her feet, swaying a little bit as she stood.

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru growled, swinging Tetsusaiga once more, its attack being released, taking out a hundred youkai as its legend told. Though he was proud to say he was now holding the weapon, he stepped on the next youkai in his way, moving toward his mate, knowing that something was about to happen. Something big. However, before he get to her completely, he noticed that the giant, screeching, tori high above her was also glowing the same color, and like a bolt of lightning the golden light escaped from their bodies, rushing for one another, a near blinding light sweeping over the field, while a wind seemed to flood out over it as well. When he could see, he pulled down his sleeve, which he'd raised to block the light, noticing a very enchanting creature standing where his mate should be, yet… his senses told him this eternal looking creature was his mate. Surprise flooded through him, as he thought,  _the tori… it had been Kagome's other half. The other half of her soul, but that must mean… Is-is this her true form?_

He was at a good enough angle to see her completely, and what he saw was strange, yet beautiful. Her eyes were glowing, one glowing white with holy energy, the other glowing black with demonic, yet her black eye swam with red looking blood, telling him that one eye seemed to symbolize her miko half, while the other symbolized her youkai half. Her hair was the darkest black he'd ever seen, and much like the home he'd seen the bound demoness living in, it moved as if living, wrapping around everything near it, since it went down to her ankles. Her clothing had changed to that of ancient armor, a type that he was sure would have been worn during the time of the Warrior Miko, Midoriko, yet it glowed with its own power, telling everyone that even the greatest weapon would not be able to pierce it. That, however, was only what he saw from merely scanning her quickly.

Looking closer, he noticed that the other piece of the Shikon glowed brightly around her neck, shining like a beacon, even in the sun. He noticed that when she opened her mouth to speak only one side of her mouth contained fangs, while the other was the combined, yet flat, teeth of a ningen. Only one hand had claws, while the other was glowing with the same white light found inside her one eye. Then, as he walked forward to make sure she was real, to which she smiled at him—a smile that seemed only half of her was truly meaning it, loving him as she had—, he watched as her hair was moved aside, her side, her right side, which was configured of demonic features and energy, containing a very large black wing. He watched, as that same wing flapped, and this new Kagome rose off the ground, her voice filling the area, and it found that it was a combination of both her sweet, caring miko side, and her dark, corrupted youkai side, both of them seeming to be moving out of her mouth from her vocals. When she spoke, it seemed that the world stopped, for it came out in a perfect combination.

Suni shrank to the ground in a crouch, her predator eyes watching this new creature in fear. Her hair rose on her hunches, as she hissed, until finally the voice of her master, along with the voice of a powerful founding woman filled the air. Though her stance relaxing a bit, she watched as the woman confronted the evil creature before them.

"Sai," Kagome called, before also saying, "Naraku. The Shikon no Tama shall not be your plaything. It deserved to be returned to its rightful home, just as the gods wish it. Should you refuse to hand it over,  **we**  shall turn you to dust."

Sai hissed, before growling, "We?"

Sesshoumaru stood blinking at the creature his mate had become. Tetsusaiga transformed into its old rusted form in his hand, while everything seemed to stand still while they spoke. However, he was wondering the same thing. With their souls once more together, shouldn't they be one person? Or, perhaps Midoriko had decided to not join their souls just yet.

She gave no nod, she merely seemed to float there, before saying, "We. We are Kagome. We are one. However, our soul is still separated in order to become a perfect combination of both demonic and holy powers. We are here to do Midoriko's bidding, for in this form we can return the Shikon no Tama to its rightful home in Takamagahara, as it should be. However, a mortal soul decided to play with fate, which ended in Midoriko's death, along with the passing of the Shikon through her body. Now, we must right it."

She reached her clawed hand out in front of her, before saying, "Now, hand it over, or die."

Sai laughed in his new insanity, before saying, "I shall never give you the Shikon no Tama! It is mine, and I shall wish upon it! I wish," he raised it above his head, never seeing Kagome's smirk, "that I was powerful enough to defeat any enemy against me, including this Kagome, oh, great, Shikon no Tama!" Nothing happened, however, and he screamed in anger, "What's wrong? Why won't you give me my wish?"

"In order to have such a wish, you would have to be a god. In order to be a god, you must have been born as such." Kagome gave a laugh, which seemed to be filled with both merriment and hatred, "Besides, the Shikon no Tama is not whole. We thought it would have been obvious. Especially since the last time you saw it, it was completely pure, why do you think it was tainted when my miko side held it? Hm? We shall tell you. It is because the Shikon is not whole, for when our soul was split so was the Shikon no Tama, for a piece of Midoriko soul lives within it, and thus she could watch both sides of our split soul."

Sai eyed the piece around her neck, before taking a few steps forward, a mere click of her fingers stopping him. He stood in place, trying to pull himself away from her hold, before growling in anger, wondering why he felt the treads of magic wrapping around him. He looked up at her, noticing her wing flap once, causing her to rise a little higher off the ground, as Sesshoumaru came to stand at her side. She nodded to him, saying something about how he'd become a fine lord, before turning back to him.

"Do you feel the magic washing over you?" only one voice came from her mouth, the one of the demoness Kagome. "It is the same magic I was allowed to use in order to help wandering souls. Souls that could not continue on the path they had chosen suddenly. A path that was dangerous to them. However, now I am allowed to use this magic outside of the prison you placed me within. You, Sai, made me this creature, for it was you who decided to bring  _her_  home, instead of merely loving me the way I wanted you to."

Sai growled, "You could not bare children! You're purpose was gone, since you were merely an image before you disappeared, you stupid bitch!"

The beautiful combination of their voices returned once more. "Trivial things," she said, glancing over at Sesshoumaru, "for now we have a true mate. One that shall not do as you did, especially since Midoriko only stopped that process of the demoness's body in order to keep you from destroying our power. Now, when our task is done, we shall bare our mate many children." She smiled, a smirk forming over her sharp fangs, "How does it feel to know another will receive what you could not have that?"

She did not wait for his answer, instead moving forward, her form floating over the ground, her wing flapping once in a while. However, within moments she was before the hanyou form of Naraku, her hand reaching out to take the piece of the Shikon he held. Once it was within her hands she reached up to press it against her own, feeling, and knowing when they fused together into one. With that, she allowed her feet to touch the ground, her miko side showing a little pity for him, before she turned away, walking on the ground.

Sesshoumaru had sheathed Tetsusaiga long ago, having picked up the sheath during battle and placed it within his obi. However, he watched, waiting for this new woman to come to his side. He stepped forward when he saw Sai suddenly move. It seemed that when she'd touched him the magic had faded for both sides were working together, instead of merely one. He growled in warning, when suddenly the remaining youkai turned toward his mate, but she didn't miss a beat, merely walking away.

"You shall die beneath my claws," Sai hissed, lunging forward. His eyes widened, however, when quite suddenly the woman turned, her feet floating off the ground once more. She was very close, but even though he should have been able to rip her to pieces before she could move, she turned, and raised her arm, her fingers clicking once more.

Sesshoumaru watched as large white looking streaks of lightning, which he assumed to be the holy energy of a miko, spread out in all directions from Kagome's body. Her body told him that she was bored of her current game, and he watched as many of her opponents began to scream in pain, others turning to dust before they could utter a sound, while some tried to escape, only for the streaks to follow and destroy them. The funniest to watch as the one that hit Naraku, or Sai, whoever he was, because it surrounded his body, the light traveling up toward the Heavens, while his form was dark within the pure white energy, wriggling, and screaming in pain. Suddenly the screams were cut off, his body seeming to be sliced in half by some unknown force. He nearly stopped her, but Kagome stepped up toward the white light, before turning to smile at him once more, almost as if she were trying to tell him not to worry.

Kagome moved forward, allowing the white light to take her, before glancing up into the Heavens above. She snapped the Shikon no Tama from around her neck, and raised it up in offering, calling out to the gods, as well as Midoriko to accept her gift. She watched as the Shikon glowed a faint blue, before it began to rise from her outstretched hands; things went blank for a few moments, and she stumbled back out of the light, watching as it disappeared. However, once she planted her feet firmly, she turned back to Sesshoumaru, giving him a smile once more, before another light surrounded her form, the words, " _Accept my final gift, Kagome; make your mate happy_ " forming within her mind.

Sesshoumaru moved forward, watching as what smelled like his Kagome stumbled out of the newly formed light. His eyes widened at the inuyoukai female, her black and golden hair tumbling down her back in waves, her blue eyes staring up at him in fright at what was happening. Her scent, the mark on her neck, however, told him that something strange had just happened to his mate, and he pulled the woman still completely in ancient armor against his own armor, feeling her arms wrap around his back. Afterward, he couldn't help looking down into her eyes, noticing how he could see straight into her soul, and though it seemed that her soul was beginning to pull itself back together he could see the corruption, rage, and darkness inside one half, while innocence, kindness, and light filled the other side. It actually caused him to smile, saying, "What has happened Kagome?"

"I-I don't know," Kagome said, pulling her hair out in front of her. "I think I heard Midoriko speaking to me! She said to accept a gift, and to make you happy. I-I really don't know what it meant." She looked down at herself, however, before smiling, "I think I do now, though."

He gave her a confused look, as she said, "I want to make you happy, Sesshoumaru. You deserve to have a full-blooded mate of your own youkai species."

Frowning, Sesshoumaru looked at her closely, before tucking a stray strand of hair behind her now pointed ear. "But, is that truly what you want?" Sesshoumaru asked, touching her striped cheek. Her markings were the same as the demoness Kagome's had been, except he could only faintly see the 'X' marking behind the blue crescent moon.

"I want you happy, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said. "Midoriko must have sensed that, and made my wish true. It does not matter what form I am in, for I'll have you. After all, you set both halves of my soul free, and I thank you for that… no, that's not true."

Sesshoumaru frowned, "You do not thank me, Kagome?"

Kagome smiled, shaking her head, before continuing, "No, I love you for it, Sesshoumaru. Truly, I do."

Giving her a small scowl, Sesshoumaru hugged her form once more, burying his nose in her hair. He knew that though his life had been full of many heart fallen things, he'd finally found what he wanted. A mate, who'd love him, not for his title, his wealth, or his body, but because he was simply Sesshoumaru, and Kagome gave that to him. Plus, it was only an added bonus that he now had Tetsusaiga within his hand, and though it was said to be the Sword to Protect Man, he was sure that with it he would be able to protect Kagome as well. Otherwise, he was positive it would have vanished upon her transformation.

Both halves of Kagome smiled deep within their new body, beginning to pull themselves back together again. However, they knew that should the time come, they would be able to turn back into the eternal creature they'd become when they first came back together, but for now they would live and grow with their mate, for now they would build a family. Still, though one was dark and menacing, while the other was innocent and pure, they would live in harmony, once more becoming one soul, perfect in everyway.

Thanks to Midoriko they were the perfect Ying and Yang. Perfect together as a whole, instead of apart.

oOo

Midoriko smirked up at the three gods circling around her, the Shikon no Tama between her fingertips. She twisted it, watching as it glinted in certain ways, while another miko, much younger than herself, looked down toward Nihon, a smile on her face as she watched the interaction between Kagome and Sesshoumaru. However, her attention was mainly on the jewel within her hand, before she watched as finally Taka-mi-musubi came forward, and as she tossed the Shikon to him, she saw that he was not amused, as she smirked.

Yes, her plan had worked. She's gotten the Shikon back, and she'd been able to piss the gods off by doing so. Of course, it was the wish of the heart she'd granted that pissed them off, but either way she'd finished what she'd started. Now, now she could rest, allowing the pieces on the Game of Fate to live out their lives the way they should. After all, now that the demoness Kagome was gone, a soul couldn't stay on just one path, no, now they could choose many paths, and she only hoped that most souls of the time decided to pick the path that would bring them happiness. Of course, she knew deep down that most of those souls were going to pick the wrong path, but hopefully, just hopefully, in the end they would end up on the path they'd chosen in the first place. After all, she couldn't mess with everyone's life, now could she?

* * *

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ame-no-Minaka-nushi – God of the August Centre of Heaven  
> (One of the three gods first born in Takamagahara; from legend)
> 
> Baka - Idiot, Retard, Imbecile, Etc
> 
> Doragon – Dragon
> 
> Gami - Toad
> 
> Hakama – Pleated skirt-pants
> 
> Hanyou – Half Demon
> 
> Haori - Sleeved overcoat
> 
> Hime - Princess
> 
> Hishu – Dagger
> 
> Houshi - Monk
> 
> Inuyoukai – Dog Demon
> 
> Kami-mi-musubi – Divine August God of Growth  
> (One of the three gods first born in Takamagahara; from legend)
> 
> Kaze no Kizu – Wind Scar, Wound of the Wind
> 
> Kuro-Inu - Black Dog
> 
> Miko – Shrine Maiden, Priestess
> 
> Neko - Cat
> 
> Nihon – Japan
> 
> Ningen – Human
> 
> Shikon no Tama – Jewel of Four Souls
> 
> Taiyoukai – Demon Lord
> 
> Takamagahara – The High Plain of Heaven
> 
> Taka-mi-musubi – High August God of Growth  
> (One of the three gods first born in Takamagahara; from legend)
> 
> Tetsusaiga – Iron Pulverizing Fang


End file.
